“No Russian missile systems including ‘BUK’ have ever crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border,” spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Major-General Igor Konashenkov said.

The official reacted to the findings of the Dutch-led Joint Investigative Team (JIT), which issued its report earlier on Wednesday. The JIT claimed that the Malaysian Boeing was downed by a BUK surface-to-air missile launched from a rebel-held area in eastern Ukraine and that the respective missile system had come from Russia.

https://www.rt.com/news/360963-mh17-probe-ukraine-internet/

 

If you had watched the BBC journalist interview a spokesman from Moscow a couple of hours ago, you would think that the empire believes that there are no terrorists in Aleppo. The definition of terrorists becomes the fine point here as if the 250000 people trapped in Aleppo East were all innocents. So far the Syrian army has liberated 85 per cent of the city of Aleppo, but the west still continues to lob the whole city as if a target from Russian planes and the Syrian army. Far from it. There ae about 10,000 to 15,000 terrorists in Aleppo east which the Syrians are trying to flush out. Most of the bombing is accurate but the reporters from the western side, which SUPPORTS THE TERRORISTS, INCLUDING AL NUSRA and possibly ISIS by default are blaming the Russians for the "problems". 

What the Russian spokesperson expained clearly to a VERY annoyingly sarcastic BBC "journalist" (an idiot with a job for the empire) was that Russia saved Syria from falling into the hands of the terrorists — an event which has BEEN THE GOAL OF THE US from the start, without saying so, by calling the terrorists "moderates".  The US and its voice of the empire, the BBC (and other western media outlet, including Murdoch's) are talking bullshit... Australia needs to stop its involvement in Syria, including stopping participating in "accidental" bombing of Syrian troops which helped ISIS advance in a manner which was contrary to the peace agreement made between the US and Russia, an advance that WAS NOT EVEN CONDEMNED BY THE WEST, nor by the UN and nor by all the stooges who are trying to remove Assad for no other reason that he said no to a pipeline from Saudi Arabia back in 2009.

Hypocrisy reigns in the underpants of the empire...

 

---------------

Respected Austrian historian, journalist and publisher Hannes Hofbauer suggests that the Russian operation in Syria has completely changed the situation in the country in the space of a year, creating a real opportunity to reach a comprehensive peace. Unfortunately, he added, the US and its allies just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160929/1045847218/russia-us-syria-what-now.html

 

Meanwhile you can add Brazil 2016 to the list of American "fiddles" in the image at top...

The US is keeping jihadist group al-Nusra for a “Plan B”, potentially to overthrow Syrian President Assad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the BBC.

Speaking to the British outlet about increased violence in Syria, including in Aleppo, Lavrov said that Washington has still not delivered on its promise to persuade US-backed rebels to separate from Jabhat al-Nusra jihadists.

The Russian Foreign Minister also said that the reason for this could be Washington’s desire to “change the regime” in the country.

"They still, in spite of many repeated promises and commitments ... are not able or not willing to do this and we have more and more reasons to believe that from the very beginning the plan was to spare al-Nusra and to keep it just in case for Plan B or stage two when it would be time to change the regime,"Lavrov said.

 

read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/361242-interview-lavrov-bbc-syria/

Last month, German journalist Jurgen Todenhofer, the first Western journalist to be given access to Daesh (ISIS) controlled territory, conducted an explosive interview with a Nusra Front commander in Syria. Soon afterward, he was accused of 'fabricating' the interview. Speaking to Sputnik Deutschland, Todenhofer responded to his critics.

Late last month, an unnamed militant believed to be a senior Nusra Front commander told Todenhoffer in an interview that his group had received advanced weapons, including BGM TOW anti-tank missiles, from the United States. The sensational (and damning) interview soon spread around the world, and soon German media engaged in damage control began claiming that the interview was a fake. The detractors' main allegation focused on the territory where the interview was conducted; skeptics even suggested that the terrorist militant was actually a Syrian government plant. Speaking to Sputnik Deutschland about the now famous interview, Todenhofer explained that he never had any illusions that his journalistic effort, and its shocking revelations about the extent of Western support for Islamist terrorists, would cause a strong reaction, "both from terrorists and from those who support mainstream Western policy in the Middle East."

 

Russia Placed S-300 Missiles in Syria After Learning of US Plans to Bomb Airbases "I think that most of those who criticized me wanted to divert attention from two things, [first of all] from the issue of the supply of weapons to the Middle East, which is really indisputable. The US, France, Britain and Germany supply weapons to the Middle East. I believe that this is a very serious problem that needs to be discussed. And these weapons aren't there to shoot fireworks – they are there to conduct wars with." Secondly, Todenhofer noted, "they want to distract from the fact that my interview – and not just this one but my earlier statements as well, destroy the mainstream worldview. This worldview suggests that in Syria, there is supposedly only one side fighting – namely the Syrian government and the Russians.

 

If that were true, the war would have ended a long time ago. The truth is that there are two sides fighting a brutal war against one another." Commenting on the details of his interview with the Nusra Front commander, the journalist recalled that at first, it wasn't even clear whether the jihadist would agree to filming. "At first, there was a great deal of stress, because we were surrounded by gunmen in masks, and our driver feared that we had been trapped. But the conversation went smoothly. This commander is not a politician – not a Salafist, not a fanatic; he's just a mercenary, who managed to serve in the ranks of at least two rebel groups – a field commander with perhaps about 200 people under his command. And since he is not a politician, he spoke openly about the things he knows." Incidentally, for the sceptics out there, the journalist emphasized the commander did not actually say that his group received weapons 'directly from the Americans.' "He said 'we directly received American weapons'. He did not say whether this was from a country or organization serving as an intermediary, but there is no doubt [that this is going on]. Everyone knows that the US and other countries supply weapons to the rebels; they say that they supply them to the 'moderate opposition', but we all know that some of these weapons are then passed to radical rebels and terrorists."

 

Definition of Insanity: US & Europe Preparing Sanctions Against Russia for Fighting Terrorism in Syria

 

As for the intense scrutiny the interview eventually received, regarding everything from the commander's slippers to his apparent lack of a beard to his golden ring (all ostensibly meant to prove that the man wasn't who he said he was), Todenhofer suggested that in reality, "there was no critical analysis. People simply pushed absurd allegations." "For example, they say that Jebhat al-Nusra militants always go unshaven, while some of the ones I show have shaven faces." The reality is not so cartoonishly simple: "Some shave, some have a beard." "Then, [critics] say that Nusra fighters do not wear gold rings, even if they come from another organization. This is simply nonsense. In Syria, thousands of people wear gold jewelry – it's perfectly normal. This is a very weak argument that comes from those who take absolutely no account of life in Syria, and is a view that could be held only by those who have never been to wartorn Syria." "To all these people I can suggest only one thing: of course someone can do the interview better than I did, but let those who want to do it meet with al-Qaeda in East Aleppo in neutral territory and do it better. These are the same people who so fiercely criticized me when I spent ten days among the Daesh militants. Again – take the trip yourself, do it better, and then you can have a say." Having been accused of being biased in favor of Russia and the Syrian government, Todenhofer emphasized that he remains convinced that there is "no such thing as a decent war," since civilians always end up being the main victims.  Still, the journalist added, one can only go so far in one's lack of objectivity.

 

"In the western part of Aleppo, where government forces are based, several hundred people have been killed since the end of the truce – in 14 days. No one speaks about this. This means that the rebels have also been shooting, and this is a very simple proof that the two sides fight with equal ferocity."  But the mainstream media, according to Todenhofer, absolutely lacks any objectivity on the issue. "…The one-sided and simply dead-wrong coverage of the conflict itself is part of the scandal. If in this situation someone like myself goes to Syria, asks questions and get answers such as 'Yes, of course we get weapons from the Americans, in whatever way,' a lot of noise is generated around this; because the West does not want its image of the world – of 'good bombs' and 'bad bombs', to be disturbed."

 

Moscow Says 3,500 Syrian Servicemen Killed in Ceasefire Violations Since February

 

Ultimately, the journalist said that he will continue to travel to Syria. Part of the proceeds from his latest book have gone to creating 80 prosthetics, which he plans to deliver to Syrian children.  "I am against this war, because I do not believe in a decent war. But I must say — and this is very important for me, that the support that the rebels receive from the West is a violation of international law. It is akin to leading a war of aggression – it's a war crime. No one has a right to supply weapons to some insurgents operating on the territory of a sovereign state. It is prohibited – it is a crime. And when the people I blame for supplying weapons not only to rebels, but also to terrorists – even indirectly – when these people shout – that too is perfectly normal. It's what I intended."

 

"I want to touch on a sore point; I want to start a debate on this issue. I want people to think," Todenhofer emphasized. "What if there were rebels in Germany, and some foreign state supported them with arms? We would say that such a thing is out of the question! In Syria the situation is more complicated, because the government has also committed crimes. Both sides commit crimes; decent wars do not happen, and so we need to put an end to this war, instead of saying 'the supply of arms from our side is good, while what the other side does is bad.' This whole war is shit!"

Read more: 

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610071046119149-syria-nusra-journalist-interview/

Iran is the world’s “biggest state sponsor of terrorism,” US Defense Secretary James Mattis stated, warning that Tehran’s actions are known to Washington and being watched closely.

“As far as Iran goes, this is the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world,” Mattis said at a press conference in Tokyo on Saturday.

“I think it is wise to make certain that Iran recognizes that what it is doing is getting the attention of a lot of people,” the Pentagon chief added.

“It does no good to ignore it. It does no good to dismiss it and at the same time I don’t see any need to increase the number of forces we have in the Middle East at this time,” he said.

“We always have the capability to do so but right now I don't think it’s necessary.”

read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/376288-iran-sponsor-terrorism-mattis/

 

See image at top... Meanwhile the Saudis who sponsor 90 per cent of the world terrorism are beatified...

 

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump regime "sought options to strike Iran," falsely saying it may pursue a course no previous US leadership considered. More on this below.

Iran's 1979 revolution, ending a generation of US-installed fascist tyranny, launched 40 years of US hostility toward the country.

US actions included a near decade of Iran/Iraq war, two failed color revolution attempts, multiple rounds of illegal sanctions, toughest of all under Trump, more likely coming, endless propaganda war, and actions by DLT regime hardliners to destabilize the country, make its economy scream, and wage war if other methods fail.

Appointing Pompeo as secretary of state and Bolton as national security advisor was a virtual declaration of war on Iran, both officials militantly hardline against the country.

Trump is easily manipulated to go along with bad advice he's given - by his own foreign policy team and Netanyahu, regime change in Iran one of their key geopolitical aims, the same objective sought against Russia and China.

Israeli regimes have long urged US war on Iran, wanting their main regional rival eliminated, part of its aim to redraw the Middle East map, wanting regional states partitioned along ethnic and sectarian lines into smaller, weaker ones for easier control.

Endless Big Lies about an Iranian nuclear weapons program, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, destabilizing the region, and wanting Israel destroyed are red meat rubbish for Iranophobes. 

The Islamic Republic never attacked another country and threatens none now - cold hard facts US media suppress, maintaining the fiction of an Iranian threat to Israel, the region and US.

The Trump regime's anti-Iran Action Group is all about pursuing regime change with a vengeance - through economic war, tougher-than-ever illegal sanctions, and naked aggression as a fallback option if other efforts fail.

According to the Journal, Bolton "asked the Pentagon to provide the White House with military options to strike Iran last year, generating concern at the Pentagon and State Department, current and former US officials said," adding:

"The request 'definitely rattled people,' a former senior US administration official said of the request. 'People were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.' "

The Journal falsely said Bolton's request came after several mortar rounds were fired at the heavily fortified Baghdad Green Zone, location of the US embassy, unjustifiably claiming an Iran-affiliated group was responsible, adding the incident "triggered alarm in Washington..."

Since Bush/Cheney's 2003 aggression and aftermath, they've been lots of similar incidents, Baghdad and other areas turned into virtual battlegrounds - besides violence and chaos related to US deployed ISIS jihadists in the country.

Bolton considered a tough response to the Green Zone incident, "including what many saw as the unusual request for options to strike Iran," said the Journal

Its editors surely know but won't say that Pentagon plans to attack Iran were prepared long ago - likely initially in the aftermath of its 1979 revolution, updated as circumstances warranted.

US regimes under Republicans and undemocratic Dems have longstanding war plans against all sovereign independent countries, including Russia and China.

Notably this has been US policy since the Clinton co-presidency, along with its Balkan wars, the rape of Yugoslavia, genocidal sanctions on Iraq, the early 90s Rwandan civil war and 1994 genocide to establish and solidify US influence in a part of Africa historically dominated by France and Belgium. 

The Clintons continued what GHW Bush began. The Hutu extremist myth against Tutsis persists. The war was all about advancing America's imperium, the Clintons responsible for other war crimes during their tenure.

In 2010, Michel Chossudovsky explained the following about US war plans drawn against Iran - an article he titled "Global Warfare. Preparing for World War III? Targeting Iran," saying:

"Humanity is at a dangerous crossroads. War preparations to attack Iran are in 'an advanced state of readiness.' Hi tech weapons systems including nuclear warheads are fully deployed."

The "not so secret plan to wage war on Iran has been on the drawing board of the Pentagon since the mid-1990s according to a declassified 1995 US Central Command document."

"Since 2005, the US and its allies, including America's NATO partners and Israel, have been involved in the extensive deployment and stockpiling of advanced weapons systems. The air defense systems of the US, NATO member countries and Israel are fully integrated."

"This is a coordinated endeavor of the Pentagon, NATO, Israel's Defense Force (IDF), with the active military involvement of several non-NATO partner countries..."

"France has significant interests in Iran's oil industry," along with the US and Israel. US "Global War on Terrorism" is all about replacing sovereign independent governments in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and elsewhere with pro-Western puppet rule.

The US has war plans drawn against all its adversaries, ready to be implemented if ordered. The Journal surely knows plenty about it pretended otherwise.

There's nothing out of the ordinary about Bolton's request to the Pentagon. It's longstanding US policy since WW II, notably since Soviet Russia's dissolution, and especially post-9/11.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

See more at http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/17-01-2019/142181-usa_war...

 

 

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