Fox News host challenges Democratic lawmaker over claims of Russian hacking (VIDEO)

In this exchange, notice how adamant and entrenched Congressman Adam Schiff is in his position. Schiff makes an accusation about Russia, builds a whole story on that foundation, and then goes on a verbal attack.

Fox host Tucker Carlson uses the phrase “weasel words”. This was a very sophisticated verbal barrage by Schiff that shifted the focus to Carlson, that he was the one with the problem for not “believing”. Schiff did not act humiliated or flustered. The exchange reveals how deeply committed Schiff and an unknown number of American officials are to pushing this particular story line and belief and to unbendingly defend it.

Officials such as Adam Schiff are directing American foreign policy based on their near-pathological prejudices and beliefs. How far will they go? The current results are visible in destroyed countries and lives, and these conflicts aren’t over yet.

From Sputnik News

December 9, 2016

On Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, Congressman Adam Schiff was absolutely humiliated over his Russian hysteria and repeated claims that the Kremlin had hacked the election.

Democratic members of Congress have demanded in a letter that President Obama brief them on “Russian interference” in the election before leaving office, and Schiff was one of those who signed. To promote their cause, the California representative appeared on Fox News, and one of the most epic showdowns in the recent history of the network ensued. Carlson left the Democratic representative looking completely ridiculous, after the latter accused the host of being an “apologist for the Kremlin,” and telling him that he will need to “move his show to RT.”

“The information was true, and voters got to see that, and it helped them assess how they wanted to vote. Why is that bad? Are you really arguing against more information for voters?” Carlson asked.

“Are you really arguing in favor of a foreign adversarial party hacking into the American —” a stunned-looking Schiff began.

Tucker then asserted that he was not arguing in favor of it, but that the information was placed into the public view — and thus voters had the right to see and assess it.

Schiff then asserted that President-elect Donald Trump was the only beneficiary of “Russian meddling,” which was quickly shot down as “speculation” by Carlson. Schiff continued to assert that the intelligence community claimed that the Kremlin was behind the hacks.

 Journalism Fail: Washington Post Story on ‘Fake News’ Was Fake

“Here’s the thing,” Carlson began, “I’ve lived here a long time, I remember vividly the ‘massive stockpiles of WMD’s in Iraq,’ which the intelligence community assured us were there, and they weren’t, so pardon my skepticism, I think it’s a patriotic position.”

Schiff appeared to grow increasingly flustered and continued to push McCarthyist anti-Russian sentiment, which Carlson hilariously mocked.

“I’m confused by what you are alleging,” Carlson interjected. “You’re saying that you believe the Russian government hacked into John Podesta’s emails and that the voters knew too much? Then you’re saying what, that they hacked voting machines? What are you saying?”

Schiff then said that if the Russians had hacked into Carlson’s emails, that he would not seek to justify their release.

“Are you arguing that voters should not have seen that information?” Carlson repeated several times.

Eventually, Schiff admitted that in some cases the press should publish information that is illegally obtained, if it is of great public interest, but continued to claim that Russia was behind the hack and that the press are responsible for reporting where the information came from.

US Lawmakers Move to Criminalize ‘Fake News, Propaganda’ on the Web

Carlson asserted that Schiff does not know if Russia was behind the hacks. He then challenged the congressman to turn to the camera and specifically say that, “I know the government of Vladimir Putin hacked John Podesta’s emails.” The representative would not comply.

“You’re carrying water for the Kremlin,” the clearly desperate representative said, now trying to deflect the conversation. “You’re going to have to move your show to RT — Russian Television.”

The assertion drew big laughs from the host, who called his statement “so dumb.”

“You know what — that is just so beneath your office, because it is so dumb, you’re being duplicitous,” Carlson laughed. “I’m asking you, did they hack Podesta’s emails and you can’t say it.”

Carlson asked him, again, to look into the camera and say the Russian government hacked Podesta’s emails.

“You can’t, and you know you can’t, and you’re hiding behind weasel-words,” Carlson said. “Say they hacked John Podesta’s emails.”

The flustered Schiff then accused Carlson of ignoring that Russia is behind the hack because it benefitted the Republican candidate. He also accused the Fox host of being an “apologist” for the Kremlin.

“I just think if you’re going to make a serious allegation about an actual country, which an actual government, you ought to know what you are talking about — and you don’t!” Carlson laughed.

The heated, and highly entertaining, exchange ended with the host mocking the congressman by saying, “I need to take a call from Vladimir Putin…so I need to put you on hold for one second.”

https://sputniknews.com/us/201612091048340762-tucker-carlson-russian-hacking-claims/

 

Moscow condemns coalition airstrikes in Raqqa leading to civilian casualties

From Sputnik News

December 8, 2016

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over recent reports of civilian casualties in US-led coalition airstrikes in Syria saying that such actions were ‘unacceptable.’

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry citing reports, at least 18 civilians were killed and dozens injured in a US-led coalition airstrike on a settlement in Syria’s Raqqa province on December 7.

“These reports cause deep concern. Air and missile strikes that result in deaths and suffering of peaceful Syrians are unacceptable and deserve decisive condemnation. The suffering of civilian population must be stopped,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that it is hard to understand statements about “errors” and “negligence” from those whose military operation in Syria had not been requested by the country’s legitimate authorities.

Last week, the Pentagon stated that the US-led coalitions airstrikes on the Syrian army positions were an “unintentional, regrettable error.”

Coalition’s Strike on Syrian Army in Deir ez-Zor Result of ‘Unintentional, Regrettable Error’ – Pentagon

On September 17, US-led coalition aircraft carried out four strikes against the Syrian army near the Deir ez-Zor airport, leaving 62 soldiers killed and some 100 wounded. The Pentagon said that the airstrike was a mistake and was intended to target Daesh militants, while a number of Syrian officials stated that the attack was intentional.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the US-led coalition for striking civilians instead of terrorists.

“Weddings, funerals, hospitals, police departments, humanitarian convoys and even Syrian troops, fighting against Daesh terrorists near Deir ez-Zor, become targets for coalition airstrikes,” spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said, commenting on an alleged US-led coalition’s member’s strike on a Syrian village in north Aleppo that claimed at least six lives.

Related:

Four Civilians Killed, 8 Wounded in Coalition Strike in Syria’s Raqqa – Reports Human Rights Commissioner: US-Led Coalition Endangers Civilians in Iraq’s Mosul
Coalition Jets Strike Raqqa Village, Kill at Least Ten Civilians – Reports

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201612081048329039-raqqa-coalition-airstikes/

Syrian troops reportedly detect warehouse with toxic chemicals in Aleppo

From Sputnik News

December 7, 2016

The Syrian government forces detected the terrorists’ warehouse with toxic chemicals in the north-eastern part of Syrian Aleppo, media reported Tuesday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — During clearing and demining activities in the Masaken Hanano district, a Syrian army unit uncovered a large warehouse inside a school building, which was used by terrorists for making shells, according to the Syrian news agency SANA.

The warehouse reportedly contained explosive materials and equipment for manufacturing rocket shells and weaponized gas cylinders.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that the Syrian army supported by allied militia units completed liberation of the Qadi Askar district located near the historic center of the Aleppo city.

During the last 24 hours the government troops managed to liberate the districts of Turbat Lala and Shaar from militant groups. The government forces also completed clearing and demining the strategic district of Sheikh Saeed in the north-eastern part of the city.

The situation in Aleppo has been seriously deteriorating over the recent months. Thousands of citizens are believed to be trapped in the terrorist-besieged eastern parts of Aleppo with no access to food or water.

The Syrian civil war is ongoing since March 2011, with many armed groups including terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al Sham (both outlawed in Russia) involved in the conflict.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201612071048248494-syrian-troops-toxic-chemicals-aleppo/

Obama grants waiver for military support of foreign fighters in Syria – White House

From RT

December 8, 2016

President Barack Obama has ordered a waiver of restrictions on military aid for foreign forces and others in Syria, deeming it “essential to the national security interests” of the US to allow exceptions from provisions in the four-decades-old Arms Export Control Act.

A White House press release Thursday announced that foreign fighters in Syria supporting US special operations “to combat terrorism in Syria”would be excused from restrictions on military assistance.

“I hereby determine that the transaction, encompassing the provision of defense articles and services to foreign forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals engaged in supporting or facilitating ongoing U.S. military operations to counter terrorism in Syria, is essential to the national security interests of the United States,” President Obama affirmed in the presidential determination and waiver.

The order delegates responsibility to the US secretary of state to work with and report to Congress on weapons export proposals, requiring 15 days of notice before they are authorized.

Obama announced a similar waiver of the Arms Export Control Act in September 2013, following the Ghouta chemical attack in August of that year. That order facilitated the transfer of US military weaponry to “select vetted members” of opposition forces battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Thursday’s order appears less narrow in scope.

READ MORE: RT crew first to reach liberated area of Aleppo’s Old City (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO) 

Last year, Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2016, which allocated nearly $500 million to arm and train “moderate rebels” in Syria, despite a failed Pentagon program abandoned earlier in 2015.

The challenge of differentiating between terrorist forces, such as Al-Nusra, and more moderate forces in Syria has been acknowledged by press secretaries in recent State Department briefings.

The “counterterrorism” pretext is just a “convenient misappropriation of language,” aimed at arming various militants to battle the Syrian Army and its allies, believes geopolitical analyst Patrick Henningsen.

“Putting this under the banner of fighting terrorism … follows on [from] a sort of fantasy concept that’s been pushed out as a talking point for the last year and a half, that if we train and equip the ‘moderate opposition’ they will fight [Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)],” Henningsen told RT.

“They want to open the floodgates basically for trafficking weapons to religious extremists and militants and terrorist groups, internationally recognized terrorist groups … it’s all being done still under this kind of false pretense of the fight against ISIS, that somehow ‘moderate’ rebels, if they even exist, will turn their weapons and fight against ISIS. And we know from the facts on the ground, from the beginning, that [this] simply has not been the case. This is to arm the opposition to fight the Syrian government and to fight Russian forces. This is a desperate move on the part of the lame duck president.”

President Obama’s decision could lead to an almost immediate escalation of the conflict and basically put the US in a situation of “waging a proxy war against the Russians and Syrians,” a former Pentagon official, Michael Maloof, told RT.

“The rebels, whom we cannot identify, are going to be getting some very sophisticated weapons. Potentially, I should say, man-portable air defense systems, which can knock down Russian and Syrian aircraft,” Maloof said. “And the fact too, that we have stocks already in Europe, that can easily be transferred with this waiver. Under the waiver, it’s supposed to be a 15-day notification to Congress, but Congress, as of tonight, Washington time, is going to be out of session until January. So these arms can go within hours.”

 

https://www.rt.com/usa/369702-obama-waiver-military-aid-syria-forces/

Conflict instigators must foot humanitarian crises’ bills – Russian Emergencies Minister to UN

From RT

December 9, 2016
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© EMERCOM of Russia

Russia’s victory in Syria: The real meaning of the Aleppo Hospital tragedy

From Fort Russ

December 8, 2016 – Fort Russ –
Ruslan Ostashko – LiveJournal– translated by J. Arnoldski –
I am not surprised by the double standards of Western media and Western leaders who either don’t want to recognize the fact that our military medics were killed or are issuing statements to the effect of “serves you right.” I’m even more unsurprised by the absence or at least “cheesy” condolences that have been offered on the occasion of the murder of our military adviser. I’ll say something cynical: I would be very worried if suddenly Western media and Western politicians started doing otherwise. 
The point is that chivalry is a luxury that only the winners can afford, and the strength of the globalists’ forces in Syria are now suffering a very serious defeat with very far-reaching consequences. Therefore, when the Pentagon is grinning and the International Red Cross is actually spitting on the memory of our medics, this means that everything is in order. This means that we are doing what’s necessary. This means that our troops have found themselves on the right side of history and are very close to victory.
Our opponents have a long tradition of spitting on the graves of the dead when they can’t beat the living. This is a sure sign that they are losing and that we are winning.
The situation for the globalists sponsoring and coordinating the terrorist “Syrian opposition” is so desperate that they are going to do anything to at least spoil the approaching victory of Russian troops in Syria. Catastrophe is nearing for the globalists and the moment is approaching when they will be deprived of the leverage they now have. This includes the leverage of control over certain American military resources. 
A prudent commander would now be trying to quietly negotiate with Moscow on the withdrawal of American military instructors from Aleppo who are working there to coordinate the work of militants. But instead, the globalists are organizing mortar shelling of a Russian hospital as a farewell, perfectly knowing that the response will be maximally bloody. The chances of American and Western instructors exiting Aleppo alive are now equal to zero. 
It is evident that they don’t care about the fate of their instructors and could care less precisely because the Pentagon will soon come into Trump’s hands. They won’t be able to use such instructors anymore. So why protect them? According to the logic of the departing Clinton team, it is much more important and interesting to spoil the Russian celebration and make victory come at even a greater cost. There is nothing surprising here. The logic of the globalists, for whom both Syrians and Americans are cannon fodder for their personal wars, is reflected in this situation crystal clear. I don’t know about you, but this reminds me of April 1945 when we dealt with one maniac who behaved similarly. He finished very badly.
I am closely following the information wars against Russia, and I remember very well how they told us at every turn that Syria will be Russia’s new Afghanistan. I remember how specialists on the Middle East told us that Assad is doomed in any case. I remember how they told us that Aleppo is impregnable and that Turkey and the United States will fight to the end to protect their militants in Syria. They basically urged us to reconcile with these “facts” and not even try to interfere in the Clintonites’ plans to reshape the Middle East for themselves, lay down pipes carrying Qatari gas to Europe, and turn the region into a factory of terrorists to be used for attacks on Russia. 
But what do we see now? We are now witnessing not only the final battle for Aleppo, but the real triumph of the Russian army and Russian military advisers. We have learned to fight with maximum concern for the lives of our soldiers. That’s why those cases in which we fail to save our medics or military advisers are so painful.
It can already be said that their death is not in vain. Besides the obvious geopolitical advantages now at play and besides the serious reduction in the number of terrorists who could in other circumstances turn up in Russia, the operation in Syria has shown us ourselves and the entire world that Russia can defend its geopolitical interests beyond its own borders even better than the USSR could. 
 
25 years ago, the operation in Afghanistan contributed to society being indifferent towards or even welcoming the collapse of the Soviet Union. But now our operation in Syria is doing the opposite: strengthening our faith in our strength and our country. This is very good. Perhaps 25 years ago we really learned to draw the right conclusions from the mistakes of our past. 

“We found them and destroyed them:” DPR special forces assassinate Elenovka war criminals

December 6, 2016 – Fort Russ News –
Maksim Karpenko, PolitNavigator – translated by J. Arnoldski –
  Special forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic have successfully liquidated the perpetrators of the Elenovka checkpoint shelling from April 2016, when Ukrainian nighttime shelling killed several people waiting in their cars at the checkpoint to cross the border. This was announced by the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, in an interview for Tsargrad TV.
  “You need to make the enemy understand that it won’t do these things with impunity. When the pregnant woman in Elenovka was killed, I swore to myself that I will find and eliminate those who participated in this attack. Let the Ukrainian military see now who has been killed over the last four months in all sorts of unknown cases. We found them and destroyed them,” Zakharchenko stated.
  The DPR head also promised that the same fate awaits the organizers and perpetrators of the assassination of Sparta commander Arsen Pavlov, a.k.a. “Motorola”.

 

  “We will do exactly what they did,” Zakharchenko warned. 

‘Planned murder’: Russian colonel & 2 medics killed by West-supported attack on hospital in Aleppo

From Fort Russ

December 7, 2016 – Fort Russ News –
RIA Novosti – translated by J. Arnoldski –
Russia’s defense ministry has reported that Russian military advisor and colonel Ruslan Galitsky has died from wounds sustained during the shelling of a residential bloc in Aleppo by militants from the so-called “opposition.
The ministry said that military doctors fought for several days to save the officer’s life, but were unsuccessful. It was also noted by the ministry that Galitsky was part of a group of advisers fulfilling assignments in Syria. Russia’s command has posthumously presented Colonel Galitsky with the highest state award.
On Monday, the news came that militants had shelled a Russian mobile hospital in Aleppo, as a result of which two military medics were killed and a doctor was severely injured. Civilians being received for treatment also suffered.

 

The Ministry of Defense has called the attack on the hospital “planned murder,” the responsibility for which lies with the so-called “moderate opposition” and its patrons in the West. 

2400+ violations: full Donetsk front sit-rep

From Fort Russ

December 7, 2016 – Fort Russ News –
RusVesna – translated by J. Arnoldski –
Russian Spring is publishing a complete summary of the military situation in the Donetsk People’s Republic for December 6th-7th. The data was compiled following today’s briefing by the deputy commander of the republic’s operative command, Eduard Basurin.
 
Ceasefire violations
Over the past day, the number of ceasefire violations by Ukrainian militants has doubled, amounting to 2,453 violations in total
The enemy fired at the territory of the republic 114 times with artillery of 152 and 122 mm, 617 times with mortars of 120 and 82 mm, 8 tank shots, as well as 1240 shots from various types of grenade launchers. In addition, infantry fighting vehicles and small arms were also used.
The Ukrainian terrorists Gruzevich, Shaptal, Nikolyuk, Sokolov, and Delyatisky subjected the following residential areas of the republic to shelling: Vasilevka, Verkhnetoretskoe, Yasinovatya, Zhabichevo, Spartak, Aleksandrovka, Yasnoe, Elenovka, Dokuchaevsk, Kominternovo, Leninskoe, Oktyabr, Sakhanka, and Trudovskie in the Petrovsky district of the city of Donetsk. 
 
Infrastructural damage
As a result of Ukrainian militants’ bombardments, three houses and a gas pipeline were damaged in Dokuchaevsk, and one house was damaged in the residential area of Staromikhailovka.
Also damaged were power lines in Elenovka, where more than 100 homes have been left without light. In Krutaya Balka, the Donetsk Filtration Station, which had only been working for two days before, has been left without electricity. 
At the current time, measures are being taken to renew the supply of electricity and gas to the affected residential areas.
 
Troop movements
The DPR’s intelligence has continued to record the strengthening of UAF positions close to the contact line
 
In Karlovka (19 km from the contact line), the positions of four 152 mm towed Giatsint-B howitzers have been identified. In Galitsinovka (17 km from the contact line), the location of four 122mm self-propelled Gvozdika artillery systems have been noted. In Krasnogorovka (3 km from the contact line), the location of two 122 mm self-propelled Gvozdika artillery systems has been recorded. Finally, in Konstantinovka (12 km from the contact line), four 122 mm self-propelled Gvozdika artillery systems and two 152 mm towed Giatsint-B howitzers have arrived. 
All information on violations of the Minsk Agreements has been sent to representatives of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire of the OSCE mission.
 
Foreign instructors
In the area of operation of the UAF’s 30th mechanized brigade, the presence of foreign instructors from Slovakia, who are directing tactical training for servicemen, has been noted. Judging by the increasing losses in UAF ranks, the foreign instructors are amateurs and do not receive full salaries.
 
Failed ‘offensives’
Over the past day alone, Ukrainian militants tried two times to break through our positions on the southern borders of the republic, namely, in the residential area of Vodyanoe, where they were repelled and driven back onto their territory with two killed and four wounded. On our side, one serviceman was wounded.
 
Conclusion

 

Thus, we can see that the Ukrainian military command is “with sheep persistence” continuing to send its people to slaughter despite knowing in advance the futility of such actions. 

“Soft” Genocide: Kiev shuts off water and electricity to Lugansk

From Fort Russ

December 3, 2016 –
By Eduard Popov for Fort Russ – translated by J. Arnoldski –
In addition to regularly shelling the territories of the Donbass republics and firing missiles over the airspace of Russian Crimea, Kiev has also not forgotten to use energy weapons. While Russia is helping the residents of the Ukrainian city of Genichesk (Kherson region) to survive the harsh winter by supplying them with free gas, Ukraine is using any and every opportunity to implement policies of socio-economic genocide against the people of Donbass. 
Today, I received fresh information from the front of the “energy war” being waged by Kiev against the Lugansk People’s Republic. This information is courtesy of Cossack Media Group from the city of Stakhanov in the LPR. The LPR’s authorized representative to the Minsk talks, Vladislav Deynego has reported that Ukraine has cut off Lugansk’s water supply from the Petrov reservoir. However, he assured that this has not harmed anyone in the LPR. In response to Ukraine’s disconnection of the water supply, a new water supply schedule has been introduced in Lugansk.
At the same time, the first deputy director of the Lugansk Water Company, Igor Ometov, has reported that the water shutdown has absolutely not affected any other districts of the Lugansk People’s Republic, which will continue to receive water according to the normal schedule.
But that’s not all. In December 2016, Ukraine plans to turn off not only water, but also electricity to the LPR. This has been announced by the director of the Lugansk Energy Association, Vladimir Gritsai, live on Hromadske Public Radio.
Earlier, the head of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Alexander Hug, stated that 600,000 people in the LPR could be left without heating and electricity for Christmas. According to representatives of the Cossack Media Group whom I asked for clarification, Lugansk had actually signed a formal contract with Ukrainian energy providers and regularly pays them for their services. During this upcoming harsh winter (such are the forecasts), the deprivation of such a huge population of light and heating is a form of genocide.
I believe that the Donbass republics are obliged to submit a complaint on such behavior at the next meeting of the Minsk group or call an emergency meeting insofar as Ukraine, with these and other actions, is grossly violating the spirit and letters of the Minsk Agreements. Paragraph eight of the agreements concerns the need to “fully restore socio-economic ties, including social transfers such as pensions and other payments (receipts and income, the timely payment of all utility bills, the renewal of taxation within the legal framework of Ukraine).” 
The republics of Donbass are honoring and fulfilling their part of the obligations and are paying Ukrainian power companies for their services. Yet now Ukraine has refused to provide even those services that have been already paid for. 
Ukraine’s actions are no surprise. The only surprise is the actions of the leaders of the Donetsk republics, especially LPR head Igor Plotnitsky. In October of last year, the Minister of Fuel, Energy, and Coal Industry of the LPR, Dmitry Lyamin, was arrested for ordering enormous volumes of coal produced in the republic to go to Ukraine. This helped Ukrainian energy stations keep running thanks to acutely scarce Donbass coal. As a result, Ukraine was saved from energy collapse last winter. This problematic situation was compounded by the fact that the LPR received no money or tax revenues from the coal supply. Lyamin’s arrest was made in the absence of Plotnitsky and aroused his anger. The next day, Lyamin was released from custody on the personal order of Plotnitsky…