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Summary and excerpts of Vladimir Putin’s speech at Valdai Club, October 22, 2015

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From Sputnik, 10-22-15

The 12th annual meeting of the club, titled “Societies Between War and Peace: Overcoming the Logic of Conflict in Tomorrow’s World” takes place of October 19-22 in the southern Russia’s city of Sochi.

While speaking at Thursday’s session, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a number of international issues.

Nuclear weapons

“The advent of nuclear weapons has made it clear that there can be no winners in a global conflict. There could be only one outcome — guaranteed mutual destruction,” Putin said during the annual Valdai International Discussion Club session.

“It turned out that the mankind, in an attempt to create more destructive weapons, has made ​​a big war meaningless. By the way, the generation of world leaders of the 50-60-70’s and even 80’s really considered the use of military force to be an exceptional measure,” the president added.

However, the restraining effect of nuclear weapons has been devalued in today’s world, he stressed.”Some may even have gained an illusion that in case of a world conflict, one side may emerge victorious without irreversible, unacceptable, as experts say, consequences for the winner,” Putin said.

Russia’s leader stressed that the dialogue on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty should be continued, but the United States’ withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty has made it difficult.

“Regarding the talks on strategic arms reduction, the dialogue must be continued. However, the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the treaty, which is the cornerstone in terms of the balance of forces of international security, from the ABM Treaty, has put the entire system in a very, very difficult situation,” Putin said.

Iranian Nuclear Deal

“Today the Iranian nuclear problem has been solved. As we have said, Iran poses no threat and has never posed any,” Vladimir Putin said.

The fundamental basis of the modern international security — the ABM Treaty — has been destroyed under the pretext of the nuclear missile threat from Iran, Putin told reporters.

“The reason, which has apparently urged our US partners to create a missile defense system, has disappeared,” he added.Iran’s alleged threat was an attempt to mislead the world and tip the balance of world powers, Russia’s President stated. [He said the system is aimed at Russia. He talked about the installation in Romania and construction of one in Poland that both threaten Russia]

It’s extremely dangerous to impose one’s will on geopolitical rivals and allies with Iran being an apt example, Putin stressed.

International relations

While discussing political, military and economic competition in the world, the Russian president stressed they must be in line with moral norms and rules.

“It is crucial that this competition must be within the framework of certain political, legal, moral norms and rules. Otherwise the collision of interests is fraught with deep crises and dramatic failures,” Putin said.

“The global information space is being shaken by the wars today, so to speak. The only correct view and interpretation of events is aggressively being imposed, certain facts are being falsified or ignored. We have all become accustomed to labeling and creation of an image of the enemy,” Putin said the session of the annual Valdai International Discussion Club.

Russia and NATO

Russia is not concerned about the promotion of “democracy” near its borders, but by NATO’s military buildup near them, Vladimir Putin said. [This was in response to provocative comments by the moderator]

“All this, in my opinion, causes our legitimate concern and, of course, we need to work on this. We are prepared, in spite of all the difficulties; ready [to work] on the same acute issue of the missile defense system beginning with today,” Putin noted.

According to him, [it is] not “democratic values” approaching Russia’s frontiers [that] worry Moscow, but the Alliance’s military infrastructure’s advance.

Russia, following the example of Washington toward Moscow could speak of the need to democratize the United States….

“Is it possible to imagine that we would introduce an aim of the US democratization in our domestic law? It is at least impolite,” he elaborated.

According to him, it is difficult to agree with claims that the United States is not seeking to change Russia’s political system if the US legislation has a direct reference to a stated goal of democratizing our country. [Putin also referenced funding of organizations for this purpose.].

Military Force as Tool of International Politics

Military force remains and will continue to be a tool of international politics, Vladimir Putin noted.

“Military force, of course, remains and will undoubtedly continue to be a tool of international politics for a long time,” he said.

The Russian leader added that the question remained whether the force will be used “only when all other means are exhausted, when it is necessary to withstand common threats.”

Sanctions

“The United States is using bogus excuses, punishing severely everyone who dared to violate US unilateral sanctions. You know, this is probably not Russia’s business but as we are taking part in a discussion club, then I will ask you a question: Is it the way to treat allies? No this is the way to punish vassals that dared to act on their own, they are punished for bad behavior,” Putin said.

He added that European companies are suffering from such measures

Ukrainian Crisis

According to Vladimir Putin, the current situation in Ukraine is dangerous for Russia but it was not Moscow who created this crisis.

“It certainly poses threat to us, but was it us who created this situation? Russia’s position is that we… we accept any choice [of Ukrainian people] but we are against this kind of power change, it is bad for any country in the world and for a former Soviet state it is totally unacceptable,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

[Putin specifically called this power change a coup d’état].

Europe’s Migrant Crisis

Uncontrolled migration processes lead to the rise in nationalism and intolerance, permanent conflicts in the society, Russian President noted.

“A shocking, mass, uncontrolled collision of lifestyles may lead to the rise in nationalism and intolerance, emergence of a permanent in the society,” Putin said.

Economic Blocs

Non-transparent economic blocs economic blocs operating in secrecy lay grounds for future conflicts, Vladimir Putin stressed.

“Establishment of economic blocs by means of imposing conditions, will undoubtedly fail to make the world safer and will only plant time bombs in the soil for future conflicts,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

He added that it was necessary to “search for ways out and compromises, as only compromises can create a long-term system of relations in any sphere, including economy.”

The ISIL threat

The capture of Iraq’s capital Baghdad or Syria’s capital Damascus would give the Islamic State group a springboard for global expansion, Vladimir Putin said.

“Just think about it, in case of the capture of Damascus or Baghdad, the terrorists would practically gain the status of an official authority,” he elaborated.

“The international community should realize who we’re dealing with. An enemy, in fact, of civilization, humanity and world culture,” Putin added.

A clear distinction is needed between Islam and lies and hatred that terrorists spread under the guise of religion, he added.

“We need to clearly draw the line between lies and hatred spread by the militants under the guise of Islam and true Islam, with its values ​​of peace, family, good deeds, helping neighbors and respect for traditions,” Putin said.

Russia’s President stressed that Iraq and Syria must be freed from terrorists, these groups cannot be allowed to expand to other regions.

“What we think needs to be done to support the long-term settlement in the region is social, economic, and political revival. And ensuring, above all, that Syria and Iraq are freed from terrorists, and that these are prevented from moving their activity to other regions,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

In order to achieve this, all forces, including the two countries’ government armies, as well as Kurdish militia and various opposition groups, must unite in the fight against terrorism, the president said.

Syrian Crisis

Turning to the issue of Syrian settlement, Putin stated that it is “clear that a military victory will not itself solve all problems, but it will create conditions for the main thing: the start of a political process.”

Russia’s President noted that Washington’s goal in Syria is to overthrow the country’s president Bashar Assad, while Russia aims to help Damascus in its fight against terrorism.

“The US goal is to get rid of Assad. Probably so. Our goal is to defeat terrorism, fight terror, help President Assad defeat terror, thus creating conditions for the start, and, I hope, successful conclusion of the political settlement process. I believe this is the only right way,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

The president noted that Syria is in need of large-scale financial and humanitarian aid to “heal the wounds of war,” calling to begin work on creating roadmaps for the revival of the region and its infrastructure.

“Now it is necessary not to undermine, but to revive and strengthen public institutions in conflict zones,” Russia’s leader said.

Russia’s leader urged to separate terror threat from internal political problems in Syria.

“Of course, we believe that the Syrian conflict is not only about fight against terrorists and terror aggression, even though this terror aggression is evident and terrorists just want to take advantage of problems inside Syria. And one should separate terror threat from internal political problems,” he said.

“The Syrian leadership must establish a working contact with those opposition forces that are ready for this dialogue. And as I understood from my meeting with President [Bashar] Assad, he is ready for this dialogue,” Putin added.

Russia in Syria

Russia’s operation in Syria is carried out in accordance with international law, Vladimir Putin said, expressing hope that the airstrikes will have a positive impact and help create conditions for political settlement.

“After a request for support by Syria’s official authorities, we made a decision to begin a military operation in this country. Once again I underline: it is completely legitimate. It’s sole purpose is to promote peace,” he said.

The president added that he hopes Russian airstrikes will have “a positive impact on the situation” and help Damascus “create conditions for further action in regard to political settlement.”

Russia is being criticized for conducting airstrikes in Syria, but these critics never say which targets we must and must not hit, Russia’s leader said.

“We are being criticized for allegedly hitting wrong targets. Tell us which targets are correct, if you know. But they keep silence. Tell us which targets we must not hit — they also refuse to,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Coordination of Anti-ISIL Operations

According to Russia’s President, Moscow and the West may soon begin exchanging information on the exact locations and movement of militants as part of an anti-terrorist operation in Syria.

“We see that in the framework of the anti-terrorism operation, gradually, though not as fast or actively as we would like, contacts are improving between defense departments,” Putin said.

Putin also stressed the importance of the Russian-US deal on flight safety in Syria, which was recently signed by the two countries.

“We are also close to beginning exchange of information with our Western colleagues on the positions and movements of militants,” he added.

The Valdai Club, established in 2004, aims to promote dialogue between the Russian and the international intellectual elite, and to foster independent, unbiased scientific analysis of political, economic and social events in Russia and the rest of the world.

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151022/1028914471/putin-valdai-club-speech.html

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Canada’s new prime minister pledges to withdraw fighter jets from Syria and Iraq strikes

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The end of the Harper era.

From the BBC, October 21, 2015

Canadian Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau has confirmed he will withdraw Canadian fighter jets from the air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.

He informed US President Barack Obama of his decision hours after leading his Liberal party to victory in the polls.

As part of his election campaign, Mr Trudeau pledged to bring home the CF-18 fighter jets that were deployed to the region until March 2016.

He has not yet given a timescale.

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals swept to power in Monday election, ending nearly a decade of Conservative rule under Stephen Harper.

Mr Trudeau, an ex-high-school teacher, is the eldest son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Jets and refugees

In his first telephone conversation with the US president as Canada’s prime minister-designate, Mr Trudeau informed Barack Obama that he would make good on his election promise to withdraw the fighter jets.

“I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada has a role to play in the fight against ISIL (Islamic State), but he (Barack Obama) understands the commitments I’ve made around ending the combat mission,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.

However, he said he would keep Canadian military trainers in northern Iraq, the AFP news agency reports.

Mr Trudeau has also vowed to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year – a move previously rejected by his predecessor Stephen Harper, who took a much harder line on the issue.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34589250
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Project Censored’s Top 25 stories of 2014-2015

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From Project Censored
The News that Didn’t Make the News

The Censored 2016 Yearbook is now available. http://www.projectcensored.org

It contains their selection of the top unreported or underreported stories of the year.

The presentation of the 2014-2015 Top 25 stories extends the tradition originated by Professor Carl Jensen and his Sonoma State University students in 1976, while reflecting how the expansion of the Project to include affiliate faculty and students from campuses across the country has made the Project even more diverse and robust. During this year’s cycle, Project Censored reviewed 203 Validated Independent News stories (VINs) representing the collective efforts of 191 college students and 31 professors from 18 college and university campuses that participate in our affiliate program.

For information on how to order the 2016 Yearbook, join their mailing list or contribute to their work, and read about the top stories,
http://www.projectcensored.org/category/top-25-of-2014-2015/?mc_cid=6c5290fd99&mc_eid=27e356d1b3

Project Censored does investigative reports in addition to producing the Yearbook. The latest are

“Private military companies in service to the transnational capitalist class”

Private Military Companies in Service to the Transnational Capitalist Class

“Domestic abuse victims being evicted for calling local police” http://www.projectcensored.org/domestic-abuse-victims-evicted-for-calling-police/

They produced a lengthy report in 2010 on electromagnetic weapons http://www.projectcensored.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ElectromegnaticWeapons.pdf

This is a stellar organization.

America’s assault on wildlife

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Wolves – a symbol of wildness.

 

 

The U.S. states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado have adopted wolf elimination programs. Other states aren’t far behind. Bounties are put on wolves and other wild animals. Snipers in helicopters take out wolves. Poison and traps are also used. Wolf pups are killed or left orphaned to die. Wild animals are on the run from the assault.

Bison –their thundering herds resonated across the Great Plains until Americans invaded their territory. On horseback or leaning out the windows of hunting party trains, Americans shot them down until they nearly eliminated the bison from the land. All for sport, and perhaps a trophy set of horns or hide. Ranchers and hunters favor the elimination of bison. And restrictive laws mandate that bison are only safe if they stay inside park boundaries like Yellowstone National Park. If they stray outside park zones, they can be killed. There are reports that food is put out to intentionally lure them out of park land so they can “legally” be killed.

America’s love affair with guns and killing extends from invasions and wars against other countries, to the militarization of police, to the stalking and killing of wildlife. Many American hunters kill because it brings them pleasure, and they do not eat what they kill. One wonders what other sadistic and perverse pleasures they engage in.

The US military bases being built on rare and irreplaceable habitat at Okinawa and Jeju Island, destroying species, displacing human communities. US Navy exercises in the Gulf of Alaska during the whale migrating and breeding season. Pagan Island — the latest place to be taken for a weapons testing and training range by the US military. Considerations of the earth do not concern American and Pentagon policy makers and officials.

Coyotes, prairie dogs, mountain lions, Florida panthers (the last one reported killed recently), otters, wild horses, and many more constantly under assault in America.

Who killed Cecil the lion? An American from the state of Minnesota.

The quotes below –“smoke a pack a day.” “shoot, shovel and shut up” — could have easily been spoken by Pravy Sektor or Azov Battalion regarding humans. Racism against species.

America is afraid of wildness. Maybe it goes back to its strict Puritan, Catholic, and Masonic roots. Wildness is too free perhaps or too pleasurable or too natural. It can’t be controlled. Also wildness gets in the way of commerce – ranching and hunting. Wildness must be tamed and subjugated or eliminated by these people. That’s America’s foreign policy as well.

Idaho just killed 30 wolves, the latest in their all-out war against a dwindling population of wolves. One wonders who they will kill next if they wipe out native wolves.

Center for Biological Diversity has been fighting this assault for years, along with other organizations and many Americans protesting this senseless killing.

30 dead wolves — 29 shot, one trapped. That’s the total so far in Idaho’s grisly wolf-hunting season. In the past few weeks, 30 wolf families have been shattered.

And the anti-wolf zealots want more. They’re howling with glee. On Facebook groups like “The Only Good Wolf is a Dead Wolf,” they’ve been sharing photos of the bloody carcasses of their victims — egging each other on to “smoke a pack a day.” With as few as 550 wolves left in the entire state, these wolves are in danger of being wiped out by killers whose mantra is “shoot, shovel and shut up.”

The Center for Biological Diversity is in a running fight with these killers, who want to spread Idaho’s terror across every state where wolves are trying to recover. You can help us stop them with a donation to the Predator Defense Fund.

If we don’t stop them, the killers will hunt down wolf families from the Great Lakes to the Pacific, wiping them out for the second time in a century. They don’t want a single wolf family left in the wild, and their friends in Congress have their backs. The Center is currently fighting a slew of sneaky congressional “riders,” amendments that would end federal protection of wolves in states like Minnesota and Wyoming.

Wolves need the best defense possible, and the Center is there for them. In the past year, we succeeded in getting the wolf hunt cancelled in Wyoming, saving scores of wolves. We ended a disgusting wolf-killing “derby” contest on BLM federal land, and made Idaho’s wolf-hating governor, Butch Otter, abruptly end the mission of a bounty hunter the state had sent to kill packs in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

The US government even has an agency called Wildlife Services which is particularly notorious.

Many Americans are horrified by these actions. Center for Biological Diversity, Prairie Dog Coalition, and other animal advocacy groups work to stop this: you can get email alerts to current news. Speak out to federal and state reps. Publicly boycott those states – such as Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana – that advocate this slaughter.

“You were wild once. Don’t let them tame you.” Stop the slaughter. Honor the wild.

Also:
Prairie Dog Coalition http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/prairie_dog_coalition/index.html

Gray wolf

 

 

 

“Where’s my grandfather’s farm?” Poles seek restitution from Ukraine

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From Fort Russ
October 17, 2015 –
By J. Arnoldski

On October 16, 2015, the Polish organization “Powiernictwo Kresowe” (Borderland Trusteeship) held a meeting at the headquarters of the Association for Polish-Eastern Cooperation in Wroclaw, Poland to discuss legal problems arising from the annexation of Poland’s eastern lands, the “Kresy,” by Soviet Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania in 1939 and Ukraine’s new EU association agreement.
The open, informational meeting, led by Konrad Rekas, was attended by more than a dozen people and featured a presentation of Powiernictwo Kresowe’s mission, legal plans, and an open Q&A session.
 
Rekas opened the meeting by explaining that the organization seeks to legally assist those Poles who have not received recompense or restitution for property lost during the repatriation of Poles and annexation of Poland’s Kresy around the time of the Second World War. According to bilateral agreements at Yalta and Potsdam in 1944 between the Polish state and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Polish state settled to reimburse Ukrainians for their lost property and repatriation to the USSR, and the Ukrainian state agreed to do the same for Poles, of which approximately 1.2 million were affected. However, for a number of political and economic reasons, in the past 71 years, a large portion of Poles have yet to receive any sort of the promised reimbursement. According to the organization, the total sum of potential restitution reaches up to 5 billion US dollars and up to 120-150,000 Poles are entitled to file claims. 
Since the 1990’s, there have been numerous legal cases filed and brought before the Constitutional Court of Poland and the European Court of Human Rights, but most cases have been rejected, and on December 4, 2015, the Polish constitutional court resolved that those affected have the right to only 15% of the current value of their lost property. Considering further the complications of dealing with Ukrainian judiciary organs, many have failed to achieve anything at all.
Powiernictwo Kresowe has launched an initiative to gather the data and documents of those Poles still demanding restitution, and legally assist them in filing cases with Ukrainian, Polish, and, if necessary, European level courts.
According to Mateusz Piskorski, a major proponent and political ally of the initiative, while precedent shows that the Polish state will avoid aiding such cases and has rejected many of them in an effort to maintain good relations with Kiev, there are no legal grounds for prohibiting individuals from opening lawsuits. Piskorski discussed this in greater detail in a recent interview with PolitNavigator.
The launch of this initiative comes on the heels of Ukraine’s signing of the EU association agreement, whose provisions included recognition of the need to settle property and heritage disputes with other states and individuals. Yet, in signing the same agreement, Ukraine simultaneously failed to take into consideration earlier resolutions, particularly agreements with Poland, on restitution issues dating from the Second World War.
Following the presentation, a lively Q&A session included individual participants’ retelling of their stories and legal qualms over achieving restitution for their families.
When asked why Powiernictwo Kresowe has no intentions of filing such special cases against Belarus, Rekas explained that Belarus has not signed any European association agreements which distort or annul previous, historical accords.
In response to another frequently asked question concerning whether or not contemporary Ukraine can be held responsible for the actions and agreements carried out under the auspices of the USSR, Rekas reminded that it was the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic itself, a full member of the UN, which signed such agreements with Poland, and that, taking into consideration the territorial and other dimensions of the Ukrainian SSR which the contemporary Ukrainian state inherited, it is the rightful successor state to the Ukrainian SSR.
While the initiative of Powiernictwo Kresowe might appear to be restricted in importance to the individual legal cases of various sizes which it will aid, the demand of ordinary Poles’ for historical justice over Ukraine’s annexation of the Kresy carries significant geopolitical weight. As some analysts have suggested, the further collapse of the post-Maidan Ukrainian state might cause a vortex into which neighboring, traditionally connected states will be pulled, each bringing their own historical and geopolitical interests to the table. Poland’s potential interests in regaining or re-establishing influence in the Kresy, where Polish majorities and minorities were not only expelled but also subjected to genocide at the hands of Ukrainian Banderites, cannot be ruled out. As Piskorski stated in his interview with PolitNavigator, everything depends on the point of view of historical justice of the actors and their separate interests involved.
Organizations such as Powiernictwo Kresowe could play a lively, grassroots role in affecting, influencing, and possibly precipitating such a development, as well as possibly aid in draining Poroshenko’s blood-money budget.
(Pictures from the meeting are to follow upon official release)

Guerre en Syrie. L’incroyable transparence russe étonne, détonne et choque

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14 octobre 2015

Alors que la coalition cache toujours ses actions, ce qui prouve qu’elle n’est pas sincère dans sa soi-disant lutte contre le terrorisme, Moscou ne cache rien. Ce qui pose un vrai problème à la coalition dont la deuxième nature est la propagande mensongère. La rhétorique belliqueuse coutumière de l’Otan se poursuit mais, elle n’est pas capable de riposter. Aidée par la propagande des médias mainstream, l’Otan tente en vain de faire croire qu’il y a de bons et de mauvais terrorists.

L’aviation russe a bombardé quarante « cibles terroristes » en Syrie au cours des dernières 24 heures, soit une baisse importante du nombre de raids aériens par rapport aux jours précédents, a annoncé mercredi le ministère russe de la Défense. Les bombardiers tactiques Su-34 et les avions d’appui au sol Su-24M et Su-25SM ont réalisé 41 sorties aériennes pour frapper « 40 cibles terroristes » dans les provinces d’Alep (nord), Idleb (nord-ouest), Lattaquié (nord-ouest), Hama (centre) et Deir Ezzor (est), a précisé le porte-parole du ministère, le général Igor Konachenkov. Les avions russes ont notamment visé « des infrastructures du groupe Etat islamique » (EI), a-t-il affirmé.

Les autres, ne pouvant justifier leurs sorties aériennes en Syrie ou en Irak sont choqués. En réalité, ils ne bombardent que le desert.

http://www.mamafrika.tv/blog/guerre-en-syrie-lincroyable-transparence-russe-etonne-detonne-et-choque/

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Russia’s unbelievable transparency in Syria surprises, astonishes, shocks!

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An Su-34

MAMAFRICA.TV
OCTOBER 14, 2015

October 17, 2015
Translated from French by Tom Winter

While the coalition always keeps the lid on what it does, which indicates its insincerity about its so-called struggle against terrorism, Moscow hides nothing. This poses a real difficulty for the coalition, whose second nature is mendacious propaganda.

The customary bellicose rhetoric of NATO continues its old ways, but [without details] it is not possible to rebut. Assisted by the propaganda of the mainstream media, NATO attempts in vain to make believe that there are good terrorists and bad terrorists.

Russian aviation has bombarded 40 “terrorist targets” in Syria in the course of the last 24 hours — a significant decrease compared to preceding days, the Russian defense minister announced Wednesday. 

 General Igor Konachenkov, spokesman for the ministry, specified that tactical fighter bombers of the type Su-34, and ground attack machines, Su-24M and Su-25M, have completed 41 aerial sorties to strike “40 terrorist targets” in the provinces of Aleppo (north), Idleb (northwest), Hama (center), Latakia (northwest), and Deir Ezzor (east). The Russian jets have notably targeted “infrastructures of the group “Islamic State,” he added. 

 

The others, unable to justify their aerial sorties in Syria or in Iraq are shocked. Actually, they are not bombing anything but the desert.

______________________________________________________
Translator note: The original headline is just as emphatic as the above:
“L’incroyable transparence russe étonne, détonne et choque”

  I love it. INCROYABLE!

Nato-Front bröckelt: Slowakei begrüßt Russland-Intervention in Syrien

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Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten  |  Veröffentlicht: 18.10.15

Die russische Intervention in Syrien hat nun auch zu einem Riss in der Nato geführt: Mit der Slowakei stellt sich erstmals ein Nato-Staat an die Seite der Russen. Außenminister Steinmeier versucht unterdessen, den Iran und Saudi-Arabien an einen Tisch zu bekommen, um eine diplomatische Lösung voranzubringen.  

Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin mit dem slowakischen Premier Robert Fico, Moskau im Mai 2015. (Foto: EPA/RIA NOVOSTI POOL)

Der Ministerpräsident des Nato-Mitgliedslandes Slowakei, Robert Fico, lehnt das russische Eingreifen in den Syrien-Konflikt nicht grundsätzlich ab. «Ob nun ein amerikanischer Angriff auf Ziele des Islamischen Staates oder ein russischer Angriff erfolgreich ist, in beiden Fällen gilt das gleiche», sagte der Sozialdemokrat am Samstag im slowakischen Rundfunk. Er habe keine ideologischen Scheuklappen. Nach Ansicht Ficos ist zur Lösung des Konflikts in dem Land zudem eine Einbeziehung des langjährigen Machthabers Baschar al-Assad nötig.

Russland setzte am Wochenende seine Luftangriffen gegen die IS fort. «Erstens verteidigen wir unsere nationalen Interessen, und zweitens haben wir die Zustimmung der örtlichen Führung», sagte Regierungschef Dmitri Medwedew in einem Interview des russischen Staatsfernsehens. Medwedew ging auch leicht auf Distanz zu Präsident Assad: «Er ist der legitime Präsident, aber wir kämpfen dort nicht für einen bestimmten Politiker. Wer Syrien führt, soll das Volk entscheiden», sagte er in dem am Samstag ausgestrahlten Gespräch. Die Russen haben bereits zu Beginn ihrer Militärschläge gesagt, dass sie Assad nicht um jeden Preis stützen wollen. Sie lehnen jedoch das völkerrechtswidrige Ansinnen ab, ein gewähltes Staatsoberhaupt durch militärische Gewalt von außen zu stürzen.

Dem Verteidigungsministerium in Moskau zufolge flog die russische Luftwaffe innerhalb von 24 Stunden rund 40 neue Angriffe in Syrien. «Dabei wurden 49 Ziele von Terroristen zerstört», sagte Generalmajor Igor Konaschenkow. Die Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) habe wegen der Bombardements ihre Taktik geändert und «dezentralisiere» nun Munitionslager und Kommandostellen. Die Kampfjets hätten trotzdem zahlreiche Stellungen entdeckt und vernichtet, meinte Konaschenkow.

Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hat den Iran zur Mitwirkung bei den Bemühungen um ein Ende des Syrien-Kriegs aufgefordert. «Mein Wunsch ist, dass der Iran seinen Einfluss in der Regierung und auf Assad und seine Umgebung nutzt, damit wir erste Schritte hin zu einer Deeskalation in Syrien gehen», sagte Steinmeier am Samstag bei einem Besuch in Teheran.

Alle Versuche, das Land zusammen mit anderen Regionalmächten wie die Türkei und Saudi-Arabien zu Syrien-Friedensgesprächen zu bewegen, hatten bislang keinen Erfolg. Am Sonntag will Steinmeier nach Saudi-Arabien weiterreisen, dem wichtigsten Gegenspieler des Irans in der Region. Parallel dazu reist Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel in die Türkei.

Irans Außenminister Mohammed Dschawad Sarif zeigte sich für eine Mitwirkung bei der Suche nach einer Friedenslösung für Syrien grundsätzlich offen. Sein Land sei zu einer «konstruktiven Rolle» und auch zu Gesprächen mit allen Nachbarn bereit.

Steinmeier appellierte an beide, die bisherige Sprachlosigkeit zu überwinden: «Jeder Akteur in der Region hat eine Verantwortung, die über das nationale Interesse hinaus geht. Diese Verantwortung ist wichtiger als Ehrgeiz und nationaler Stolz.»

Mit Blick auf Irans Rolle in Syrien sagte Steinmeier: «Es ist kein Geheimnis, dass unsere Position nicht in jeder Hinsicht deckungsgleich sind. Aber wir haben ein gemeinsames Interesse daran, dass das Morden ein Ende findet und dass Syrien als Staat erhalten bleibt.» Sarif sagte zu Assads Zukunft, in der Vergangenheit habe man sich zu sehr auf das Schicksal von «Individuen» konzentriert. Besser wäre es jedoch, sich um den Erhalt der staatlichen Institutionen zu kümmern. «Das Volk wird entscheiden, wer in Syrien am Anfang sein wird und wer am Ende.»

http://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2015/10/18/nato-front-broeckelt-slowakei-begruesst-russland-intervention-in-syrien/

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NATO front crumbles: Slovakia welcomes Russian intervention in Syria

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From Fort Russ

Russian President Putin with Slovak Premier Fico in Moscow
Fico’s view: it is necessary to include Bashar al Assad to resolve the conflict in Syria

Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten
October 18, 2015
Translated from German by Tom Winter

 The Russian intervention in Syria has now led to a rift in NATO with Slovakia becoming the first NATO country to side with the Russians. German Foreign Minister Steinmeier, meanwhile, tries to get Iran and Saudi Arabia to the table to promote a diplomatic solution.

But the Prime Minister of NATO member country Slovakia, Robert Fico, is not wedded to the Russian intervention in principle: “Whether an American attack or a Russian attack on ISIS targets is now successful, in either case it counts the same,” the Social Democrat said Saturday on Slovak Radio. He has no ideological blinkers. According to Fico’s view it is necessary to include longtime ruler Bashar al Assad to resolve the conflict in the country.

 Russia continued its airstrikes against ISIS through the weekend. “First, we are defending our national interests, and second, we have the approval of the local leadership,” said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Russian state television.

Medvedev also slightly distanced himself from President Assad: “He is the legitimate president, but we aren’t fighting there for a particular politician. Who leads Syria — the people should decide,” he said in the interview broadcast on Saturday.

The Russians have already said at the beginning of their military strikes that they do not intendf to support Assad no matter what. However, they reject the overthrow of an elected head of state by military force from outside, as a breach of International Law.

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow the Russian Air Force flew about 40 new attacks in Syria in 24 hours. “…in which 49 terrorist targets were destroyed,” said Major General Igor Konaschenkov.

The terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) have changed their tactics because of the bombing and are now having to decentralize ammunition dumps and command posts. The fighter jets discovered and destroyed several positions anyway, said Konaschenkov.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Iran to cooperate in the efforts to end the war in Syria. “My desire is that Iran use its influence on the government, and on Assad and his circle so we can take the first steps towards a de-escalation in Syria,” Steinmeier said on Saturday during a visit to Tehran.

All attempts to move Iran, along with other regional powers such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to Syrian peace talks, so far have been fruitless. On Sunday, Steinmeier will travel to Saudi Arabia, the main opponent of Iran in the region. At the same time German Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to Turkey.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif showed himself to be open, in principle, to participation in the search for a peaceful solution for Syria. His country was ready for a “constructive role” and also to hold talks with all its neighbors.

Steinmeier appealed to both to overcome the previous lack of discussion: “Every player in the region has a responsibility that goes beyond the national interest. This responsibility is more important than ambition and national pride. “

 With a view to Iran’s role in Syria Steinmeier said: “It’s no secret that our position is not congruent in all respects. But we have a common interest in ensuring that the killing comes to an end and that Syria will remain as a state.” Zarif said that when it comes to Assad’s future, in the past we have focused too much on the fate of individuals. It would be better to take care of the preservation of the state institutions. “The people in Syria will decide who will be there at the beginning and who at the end.”

Your translator cannot resist a comment on Steinmeier’s assertion that Syria remain as a state: unlike some governments, Germany is thinking ahead realizing what will happen if the “rebels” win.

Who is Andriy Parubiy? A call to protest October 23 UK visit by Ukrainian far right leader

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As deputy speaker, Parubiy has been welcomed into Canada and the US, where he is begging these countries to send lethal weapons to Ukraine. Lethal arms that will be used in the continued military onslaught against the Donbass.

Parubiy is now due in the UK to speak with government officials and think tanks. Solidarity with Antifascist Resistance will organise a demonstration outside the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Holland Park where he is due to speak on 23rd October at 7pm.
We call on the British government to ban him from entering the UK.
NO PASARAN! NO TO UK LINKS WITH UKRAINIAN FAR-RIGHT!

From Fort Russ
October 17, 2015
Ukraine Antifascist Solidarity
by 

Andriy Parubiy, is the deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament and a politician with a far right record. He is due to visit the UK to meet with government officials to advocate military aid for Ukraine. Here’s why we will be protesting his visit:
“Parubiy was the founder of the Social National Party of Ukraine, a fascist party styled on Hitler’s Nazis, with membership restricted to ethnic Ukrainians. The Social National Party would go on to become Svoboda, the far-right nationalist party whose leader Oleh Tyahnybok was one of the three most high profile leaders of the Euromaidan protests – negotiating directly with the Yanukovych regime.” Channel 4 How the far right took top posts in Ukraine’s power vacuum
In 1991, Parubiy founded the Social National Party of Ukraine together with Oleh Tyahnybok (the current leader of the far-right Svoboda party). The SNPU symbol, a modified nazi Wolfsangel, later became the symbol of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. The ideology of the SNPU was radical nationalism and neo-Nazism.
“… of these various Ukrainian nationalist parties the SNPU was the least inclined to conceal its neo fascist affiliations. Its official symbol was the somewhat modified Wolf’s Hook (Wolfsangel),used as a symbol by the German SS division Das Reich and the DutchSS division Landstorm Nederland during World War II and by a numberof European neofascist organizations after 1945. As seen by the SNPU leadership, the Wolf’s Hook became the “idea of the nation.” Moreover,the official name of the party’s ideology, “social nationalism,” clearly referred back to “national socialism”—the official name of the ideology of the National-Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) and of the Hitlerite regime. The SNPU’s political platform distinguished itself by its openly revolutionary ultranationalism, its demands for the violent takeover of power in the country, and its willingness to blame Russia for all of Ukraine’s ills. Moreover, the SNPU was the first relatively large party to recruit Nazi skinheads and football hooligans.” (Andreas Umland and Anton Shekhovstov, Ultra right Party Politics in Post-Soviet Ukraine and the Puzzle of the Electoral Marginalism of Ukrainian Ultranationalists in 1994–2009)

Patriot Ukraine parade, Lviv 1999
In 1998-2004 Parubiy was the head of paramilitary youth wing of Social-Nationalist Party ‘Patriot of Ukraine‘, which existed until December 2014 when it joined the Right Sector. The first Congress of the “Patriot of Ukraine” was held in Lviv on 12 December 1999 where it was officially adopted by the Social-National Party of Ukraine (SNPU) as its paramilitary youth wing. In the evening, around 1500 members of the SNPU and the “Patriot of Ukraine” staged a torchlight demonstration in the city. The first leader of the organization, Andriy Parubiy, established a long-lasting tradition of torchlight parades, which became an organizational trademark. It was described as having racist and neo-Nazi political beliefs.