Ukrainian shelling leading to extremely tense situation on Donbass frontline

Ukrainian shelling leading to extremely tense situation on Donbass frontline

Ukrainian shelling left 200 miners trapped underground in Donetsk - YouTube

As a result of the shelling, 207 miners remain underground. The Ukrainian shelling left Zasyadko mine without power, 207 miners remain underground. Emergency Situations Ministry conducts rescue operations, are brought aboard.

"Today, as the result of the shelling, Zasyadko mine has been left without power. Due to inactive elevator machinery, there are people remaining underground. At this moment, Emergency Situations Ministry brought emergency generators aboard and is conducting rescue operations. As you can hear, the shelling is still continuing, explosions can be heard far away," said Dmitry Astrakhan, the DPR People’s Militia press service war correspondent.

"We went for the duty, the mine is deenergized. We were waiting for power. 0.28 We were told there is none, all boars are off-the-line," said Maxim, a miner from Zasyadko mine in Donetsk.

"Zasyadko mine has been left without power. 203 miners remain underground, four people are in the cage which was coming up. At this moment mine-rescuers are working there, the evacuation is taking place now. There is a difficulty due to the cage’s freezup, therefore it is coming up slower than it should," said Alexey Kostrubitsky, the DPR Emergency Situations Minister 

Donetsk Defense TV News Report, 30.1.2017 

The situation in republic on Monday has got much tenser, and not just on the contact line. Since the last evening, and up to now, the shelling 

through all the directions won’t stop. Ukrainian forces launched more than 211 tank shells and mortar rounds onto Donetsk, Makeevka, Gorlovka,

Yasinovataya outskirts and the south of the DPR. 

THE SAKER -- Una “revolución de color” está en marcha en los Estados Unidos

Published 29 January, 2017 by Comunidad Saker Latinoamérica

Una “revolución de color” está en marcha en los Estados Unidos

Este artículo fue escrito para la revista Unz: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/a-color-revolution-is-under-way-in-the-united-states/

Un chiste ruso dice así: “Pregunta: ¿por qué no puede haber una revolución de color en los Estados Unidos? Respuesta: porque no hay embajadas estadounidenses en Estados Unidos “.

Divertido, quizás, pero equivocado de hecho: creo que una revolución del color se está ocurriendo en los EEUU ahora.

Politico parece sentirse de la misma manera. Vea su cobertura reciente:

Aunque yo predije que “Estados Unidos está a punto de afrontar la peor crisis de su historia” en octubre del año pasado, un mes antes de las elecciones, tengo que admitir que me sorprende, y me sorprende la magnitud de la lucha que vemos que tiene lugar ante nuestros ojos. Ahora está claro que los neoconservadores declararon la guerra a Trump y algunos, como Paul Craig Roberts, creen que Trump les ha devuelto el favor. Espero que tenga razón.

Veamos un ejemplo:

Las agencias de inteligencia estadounidenses actualmente están investigando a su propio jefe! Sí, según informes recientes, el FBI, la CIA, la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional y el Departamento del Tesoro están investigando las conversaciones telefónicas entre el general Flynn y el embajador ruso Sergey Kislyk. Según Wikipedia, el general Flynn es el ex

• Director de la Agencia de Inteligencia de Defensa
• Comando Conjunto de Componentes Funcionales para Inteligencia, Vigilancia y Reconocimiento
• Presidente de la Junta de Inteligencia Militar
• Subdirector de Inteligencia Nacional
• Oficial superior de inteligencia del Comando Conjunto de Operaciones Especiales.

THE SAKER -- A “color revolution” is under way in the United States

A “color revolution” is under way in the United States

9962 ViewsJanuary 28, 2017 169 Comments

This article was written for the Unz Review: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/a-color-revolution-is-under-way-in-the-united-states/

A Russian joke goes like this: “Question: why can there be no color revolution in the United States? Answer: because there are not US Embassies in the United States.”

Funny, maybe, but factually wrong: I believe that a color revolution is being attempted in the USA right now.

Politico seems to feel the same way.  See their recent cover:

While I did predict that “The USA are about to face the worst crisis of their history” as far back as October of last year, a month before the elections, I have to admit that I am surprised and amazed at the magnitude of struggle which we see taking place before our eyes.  It is now clear that the Neocons did declare war on Trump and some, like Paul Craig Roberts, believe that Trump has now returned them the favor.  I sure hope that he is right.

Let’s look at one telling example:

US intelligence agencies are now investigating their own boss!  Yes, according to recent reports, the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency and Treasury Department are now investigating the telephone conversations between General Flynn and the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyk.  According to Wikipedia, General Flynn is the former

• Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
• Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
• Chair of the Military Intelligence Board
• Assistant Director of National Intelligence
• Senior intelligence officer for the Joint Special Operations Command.

He is also Trump’s National Security Advisor.  In other words, his security clearance is stratospherically high and he will soon become the boss of all the US intelligence services.  And yet, these very same intelligence services are investigating him for his contacts with the Russian Ambassador.   That is absolutely amazing.  Even in the bad old Soviet Union, the putatively almighty KGB did not have the right to investigate a member of the Communist Party Central Committee without a special authorization of the Politburo (a big mistake, in my opinion, but never mind that).  That roughly means that the top 500 members of the Soviet state could not be investigated by the KGB at all.  Furthermore, such was the subordination of the KGB to the Party that for common criminal matters the KGB was barred from investigating any member of the entire Soviet Nomenklatura, roughly 3 million people (and even bigger mistake!).

BREAKING:

• Trump, Putin Agree on Need for Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism

Trump, Putin Agree on Need for Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism

© REUTERS/ Jonathan Ernst

US

23:18 28.01.2017(updated 23:41 28.01.2017) Get short URL

In their first conversation since Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, he and President of Russia Vladimir Putin discussed improving cooperation between their countries in the fight against terrorism and the importance of rebuilding bilateral trade and economic ties.

Moscow sees Washington as its most important partner in fighting international terrorism, Putin told Trump, according to the Kremlin's official statements on the conversation. Both leaders reportedly supported the idea of improving "real coordination" between their nations in the fight against Daesh and other terrorist groups active in Syria. 

© FLICKR/ GAGE SKIDMORE

Trump in Phone Conversation With Abe Reaffirms Commitment to Japan's Security- White House

Trump and Putin also expressed their willingness to work together to "develop and stabilize" US-Russia interaction and assured each other that their nations' citizens view the other's positively. 

In addition, the two world leaders discussed Iran's nuclear program, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the situation on the Korean peninsula, and the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, the Kremlin reports, as well as nonproliferation issues. 

Trump and Putin are expected to speak again to discuss possible dates and places for a face-to-face meeting. 

EJERCITO SIRIO APLASTA AL-NUSRA Y DASH EN DAMASCO Y HOMS

EJERCITO SIRIO APLASTA AL-NUSRA Y DASH EN DAMASCO Y HOMS Posted: 25 Jan 2017 07:53 AM PST * El Ejército sirio ha lanzado ofensivas devastadoras contra los grupos terroristas Frente Al-Nusra y EIIL (Daesh, en árabe) en Damasco y Homs, respectivamente. **  Los terroristas son abatidos como moscas en una trampa pegajosa. Los que ya no creen el la felicidad eterna huyen o se entregan a las fuerzas militares de Siria. *** Rusia esta trayendo la paz en oriente medio, Irán agradece su intervención y el sionismo de Israel se muerde la heridas. Los pocos terroristas que queden, serán los que se esconden. 25/05/2017 . DIARIO OCTUBRE INFORMA: Las fuerzas de élite del Ejército sirio han llevado a cabo una operación rápida y contundente contra los objetivos de Frente Al-Nusra (autodenominado Frente Fath Al-Sham) en la región de Tayba, ubicada al este de la ciudad de Damasco, capital siria, ha informado este martes el portal Web Al-Masdar News. Un gran número los terroristas, ha explicado la fuente, ha sido abatido y varios de sus coches militares y pertrechos bélicos han sido destruidos por completo. Asimismo, los cazas sirios han bombardeado las posiciones de las bandas takfiríes en el campo noreste de Damasco. Los operativos causaron la muerte de decenas de terroristas y la destrucción de varios tanques, vehículos blindados y misiles antitanques, según ha anunciado la agencia oficial siria SANA. El Ejército sirio ha realizado tales operaciones para expulsar a las agrupaciones extremistas de las afueras de Damasco y poder afianzar la seguridad de la capital, que de vez en cuando sufre atentados terroristas perpetrados por estos grupos extremistas calificados como “rebeldes moderados por EE.UU.”. Paralelamente, las tropas sirias han continuado sus operaciones militares contra los objetivos de Daesh en el sureste de la aldea de Al-Mata al-Rabeaa, ubicada en la provincia de Homs, en el oeste de Siria, infligiendo grandes pérdidas en las filas de la agrupación ultraviolenta. Señalar que desde 2011 Siria atraviesa turbulencias marcadas por la presencia de grupos terroristas apoyados desde el exterior a fin de hacer caer al Gobierno de Damasco. El conflicto de larga data es tan brutal que ha dejado unos 400.000 muertos y el mayor éxodo de refugiados desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

PETER KORZUN -- Putin, Trump Summit on the Cards: Chance to Make ‘Good Deals’

PETER KORZUN | 23.01.2017 | WORLD

Putin, Trump Summit on the Cards: Chance to Make ‘Good Deals’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signaled during his recent press conference that Russia is keen to commence talks with the new administration as soon as possible. «We will be ready as soon as the US administration takes office and prepares itself to meet, to talk business, feeling the responsibility before the people of our countries and the people of the rest of the world», said the top diplomat.

True, the reports about a summit planned to take place in Reykjavik have been denied but preparations for a top level meeting are on the way. It’s logical to surmise that a summit will take place in two-three months as neither side is prone to drag it out.

US President-elect Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin some time after he is sworn in on Jan. 20. «I understand that they would like to meet, and that’s absolutely fine with me», he said. Before the election he had made known his desire to meet the Russian leader even prior to the inauguration.

Réseau Voltaire -- Donald Trump at CIA Headquaters

Donald Trump at CIA Headquaters

by Donald Trump

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 21 JANUARY 2017 

Mike Pence: Thank you to the Acting Director Meroe Park. Thank you for 27 years serving the United States of America here at CIA.

It’s a great privilege for me to be with you today and to have the opportunity to introduce at his first event, on his first full day, the new President of the United States, Donald Trump. (Applause.)

As you can imagine, it’s deeply humbling for my family and I to find ourselves in this role. I’m grateful to our new President for the opportunity he’s given me and the opportunity the American people have given us to serve. But it’s especially humbling for me to be before all of you today – men and women of character, who have sacrificed greatly – and to stand before this hallowed wall, this memorial wall, where we remember 117 who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

I can assure you this new President and our entire team recognizes and appreciates the sacrifices of all of the men and women of the intelligence community of the United States of America. (Applause.)

James Petras -- Regime Change Comes Home: The CIA’s Overt Threats against Trump

  

Regime Change Comes Home:The CIA’s Overt Threats against Trump

By James Petras

January 20, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - The norms of US capitalist democracy include the election of presidential candidates through competitive elections, unimpeded by force and violence by the permanent institutions of the state.  Voter manipulation has occurred during the recent elections, as in the case of the John F. Kennedy victory in 1960 and the George W. Bush victory over ‘Al’ Gore in 2000.  But despite the dubious electoral outcomes in these cases, the ‘defeated’ candidate conceded and sought via legislation, judicial rulings, lobbying and peaceful protests to register their opposition.

These norms are no longer operative.  During the election process, and in the run-up to the inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump, fundamental electoral institutions were challenged and coercive institutions were activated to disqualify the elected president and desperate overt public pronouncements threatened the entire electoral order.

We will proceed by outlining the process that is used to undermine the constitutional order, including the electoral process and the transition to the inauguration of the elected president.

Regime Change in America

In recent times, elected officials in the US and their state security organizations have often intervened against independent foreign governments, which challenged Washington ’s quest for global domination.  This was especially true during the eight years of President Barack Obama’s administration where the violent ousting of presidents and prime ministers through US-engineered coups were routine – under an unofficial doctrine of ‘regime change’.

The violation of constitutional order and electoral norms of other countries has become enshrined in US policy.  All US political, administrative and security structures are involved in this process.  The policymakers would insist that there was a clear distinction between operating within constitutional norms at home and pursuing violent, illegal regime change operations abroad.

Pepe Escobar -- Here's How the Trump Presidency Will Play Out

Here's How the Trump Presidency Will Play Out

By Pepe Escobar

January 20, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - "Sputnik"- The Trump era starts now – with geopolitics and geoeconomics set for a series of imminent, unpredictable cliffhangers.

I have argued that Trump's foreign policy guru Henry Kissinger's strategy to deal with the formidable Eurasia integration trio – Russia, China and Iran — is a remixed Divide and Rule; seduce Russia away from its strategic partnership with China, while keep harassing the weakest link, Iran.

In fact that's how it's already playing out – as in the outbursts of selected members of Trump's cabinet during their US Senate hearings. Factions of US Think Tankland, referring to Nixon's China policy, which was designed by Kissinger, are also excited with the possibilities of containment regarding at least one of those powers "potentially arrayed against America".

Kissinger and Dr. Zbig "Grand Chessboard" Brzezinski are the two foremost, self-described Western dalangs – puppet masters – in the geopolitical arena. In opposition to Kissinger, Obama's foreign policy mentor Brzezinski, true to his Russophobia, proposes a Divide and Rule centered on seducing China.

Yet an influential New York business source, very close to the real, discreet Masters of the Universe, who correctly predicted Trump's victory weeks before the fact, after examining my argument offered not only a scathing appraisal of those cherished dalangs; he volunteered to detail how the new normal was laid out by the Masters directly to Trump. Let's call him "X".

The non-stop China watch

Peter Koenig -- India – Crime of the Century – Financial Genocide

India – Crime of the Century – Financial Genocide

By Peter Koenig

January 20, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - A Financial genocide, if there was ever one. Death by demonetization, probably killing hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, through famine, disease, even desperation and suicide – because most of India’s money was declared invalid. The official weak reason for this purposefully manufactured human disaster is fighting counterfeiting. What a flagrant lie! The real cause is of course – you guessed it – an order from Washington. 

On 8 November, Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, brutally declared all 500 (US$ 7) and 1,000 rupee-notes invalid, unless exchanged or deposited in a bank or post office account until 31 December 2016. After this date, all unexchanged ‘old’ money is invalid – lost. Barely half of Indians have bank accounts.

The final goal is speedy global demonetization. India is a test case – a huge one, covering 1.3 billion people. If it works in India, it works throughout the developing world. That’s the evil thought behind it. “Tests” are already running in Europe. 

The Nordic countries, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, are moving rapidly towards cashless societies. Electronic money, instead of cash, allows the hegemon to control the entire western world, all those who are enslaved to the dollar monetary system. Meaning literally everybody outside the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that includes, China, Russia, most of Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan and – yes, India is an apparent candidate to join the SCO alliance.

There was no limit set in rupee amounts that were allowed to be deposited in bank or postal accounts. But exchanges or withdrawals were limited the first two days to 2,000 rupees, later to 4,000 rupees, with promises to further increases ‘later on’. The restrictions have to do with limited new bank notes available. The new money is issued in denominations of 500 and 2,000 rupee-notes.

On 9 November, none of the country’s ATM machines were functioning. Withdrawing money was possible only from banks. Queues behind bank counters were endless – lasting hours and in some cases days. Often times, once at the teller, the bank was out of cash. Imagine the millions, perhaps billions of labor hours – production time and wages – lost – lost mostly by the poor.

SOROS RAISING $10 MILLION FOR ANTI-TRUMP REVOLT

SOROS RAISING $10 MILLION FOR ANTI-TRUMP REVOLT

POLITICS

GLOBAL ATLANTICISM

23.01.2017

USA

Kerry Bolton

The news media has been more interested in the histrionics of anti-Trump rioters than the presidential inauguration. Consistent with history the liberals and the Left are being manipulated by oligarchic interests. This manipulation can occur because of the banality of Left-wing analyses, the fundamental common world-view of the Left and global oligarchy, and the psychoses and neuroses afflicting both the leadership and rank-and-file of the Left.

Oswald Spengler observed that the Left has served the interests of money since Tiberius Gracchus was backed by the equites. In his own time he noted that there has not been a proletarian, not even a communist, movement that has not served the interests of money. (Spengler, The Decline of The West, London, 1971, vol. 2, p. 464, note 1; p. 402). During the French Revolution funds were provided by the Duc d’Orleans. During Spengler’s time Jacob Schiff of Kuhn Loeb & Co. was funding the Russian revolutionists via the Amercian journalist George Kennan. Funds were provided by Olof Aschberg of Nye Banken, Sweden, who became the first director of the USSR’s Ruskombank; William Boyce Thompson, mining magnate and Federal Reserve Board director; Parvus-Helphand, the Menshevik turned arms merchant, et al. (Bolton, Revolution from Above, London, 2011, pp. 57-65). It seems that more often than not revolutions in the name of ‘the people’ are a façade for the replacement of a traditional ruling class by an oligarchic ruling class; in this we can include the Reformation of Henry VIII, the Puritan Revolution of Cromwell, and the ‘Glorious Revolution’.

So when today we talk of oligarchs behind ‘colour revolutions’ throughout the world, the dismissive, smirking response from academic and journalistic pundits about ‘conspiracy theorists’ wears thin, particularly since the oligarchic interests are open about their aims. Such is the confidence they have in their ability to manipulate the mass mind with buzz-words such as ‘human rights’, and ‘equality’. How the Trump presidency will play out is extraordinarily difficult to forecast, given the presence of oligarchs and Russophobes at cabinet level. Regardless, Trump has unleashed a populist revolt which is deeply troubling for the oligarchs.

George Soros, the speculator, one would think would be anathema to the ‘social justice’ street walkers of the Left. However, the extent of their moral and intellectual bankruptcy is shown by their zeal in furthering the Soros-globalist agenda.

MATTHEW JAMISON -- Intelligence Wars

MATTHEW JAMISON | 20.01.2017 | OPINION

Intelligence Wars

There has been much in the media of late regarding the claims of Russian cyber hacking to influence the outcome of the recent American Presidential election. However, just as the Russian cyber hacking storyline has dominated the American and Western media, the bigger story here is the dubious activities of both American and British intelligence services and the politically partisan conflict that has engulfed the American intelligence community with the nakedly political interventions of both the FBI and CIA in the American political process. Indeed, it was American intelligence in the form of the FBI that did more to influence the outcome of the US Presidential election than the speculated machinations of any external foreign power. The latest twist, that the FBI is to be investigated by the Inspector General of the US Justice Department with regards to its handling of the investigation into the private email server run by Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State is quite astonishing.

Whether or not Russian intelligence was involved in a campaign of cyber espionage to influence the American Presidential election is beside the point. There as yet has been no hard, concrete evidence presented on this issue to back up the argument articulated by the Obama administration. Yet, what is very clear, is the FBI acted in a nakedly partisan and irregular fashion during the election campaign to inflict as much political damage on the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as possible. It wasn't the Russians that did Mrs. Clinton in, it was the FBI. Quite clearly from the actions of the FBI Director Comey, the FBI is a highly politicised, Republican/conservative leaning organisation, which is not politically impartial and which acted in a partisan political manner regarding its investigation into Mrs. Clinton's private email server. I for one could not believe it that the FBI Director Comey decided to write to Congress a week out before the Presidential vote was held to regurgitate the email scandal. What Comey did was a political hit job, far more damaging and destablising that anything Wikileaks did. Mr. Comey knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote to Congress on October 28th with the political bombshell that the FBI was reopening its investigation into Mrs. Clinton's email server and in doing it inflicted far more damage on Mrs. Clinton's campaign than the hacked and leaked emails from the DNC or the Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

As Hillary Clinton herself has acknowledged and many members of her campaign, it was the Comey letter that cost her the election. The hacking and leaking of the DNC emails and John Podesta's emails pale into insignificance compared with what the FBI Director did. As one of the most respected election gurus Nate Silver stated: «I'll put it like this: Clinton would almost certainly be President-elect if the election had been held on Oct. 27 (day before Comey letter)». In writing to Congress a week out from the Presidential election Comey violated the principle that US intelligence and law enforcement agencies do not make interventions in election campaigns during a sixty day time frame before election day. He did this without consulting the Justice Department and did it deliberately to cast doubt on Mrs. Clinton's integrity and trustworthiness a week before the vote, which had always been her Achilles Heel with a large section of the American public. It was even more farcical that it only took the FBI roughly a week or so to sort through and examine 650,000 emails and then two days before the election exonerated Mrs. Clinton for a second time that she had done nothing criminal. Yet that second exoneration came too little, too late as it was designed to be and the damage had already been done with the Clinton campaign on the defensive during the final week and rumour, intrigue and speculation dominating the headlines. This is what Comey and the FBI had intended. It is clear from the actions of the FBI Director that he and his organisation were against Hillary Clinton becoming President. Why he did not recommend criminal charges back in July 2016 after a year long investigation is because the FBI really could not find grounds to recommend criminal charges which could be prosecuted against Mrs. Clinton. So they opted for the next best thing. Political death by a thousand cuts not one fatal slash.