Friends,

Again Robert Parry, our award winning investigative journalist, brings truth home to us.

Our mainstream media interprets near identical wars in Aleppo and Mosul in two radically different ways. One is extolled, the other condemned. In Mosul where US troops are attacking and Aleppo where the Syrians and Russians are attacking.

Pray tell, what is the difference?

Sharon

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Consortium News
October 17, 2016

Good Deaths in Mosul, Bad Deaths in Aleppo

Exclusive: As the U.S.-backed offensive in Mosul, Iraq, begins, the mainstream U.S. media readies the American people to blame the terrorists for civilian casualties but the opposite rules apply to Syria’s Aleppo, reports Robert Parry.

By Robert Parry

Note how differently The New York Times prepares the American public for civilian casualties from the new U.S.-backed Iraqi government assault on the city of Mosul to free it from the Islamic State, compared to the unrelenting condemnation of the Russian-backed Syrian government assault on neighborhoods of east Aleppo held by Al Qaeda.

In the case of Mosul, the million-plus residents are not portrayed as likely victims of American airstrikes and Iraqi government ground assaults, though surely many will die during the offensive. Instead, the civilians are said to be eagerly awaiting liberation from the Islamic State terrorists and their head-chopping brutality.

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Friends, on October 1, General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rang the alarm on a “No Fly Zone” over Syria which was gaining traction in Washington. In no uncertain terms he predicted, “For us to control the airspace over Syria would require that we go to war with Syria and Russia.” (bold s.t.)

October 9 in the second Presidential Debate, this concept of “No Fly Zone” was still spoken about as though it’s a viable strategy. Does this mean that America is willing to go to war with Russia which has an equal number of nuclear weapons as we have?

We must somehow impress on our decision makers that strategies other than military solutions are desperately needed for our nation and our world. We can no longer invade countries to secure oil, gas and pipelines without taking the nations’ populations into consideration.

How do we open up this discussion to a nationwide audience here in the U.S.?

Surely few if any Americans would vote to start WWIII that would incinerate their families and homes. We need far cooler heads who will take responsibility for our futures rather than “acting tough” when far better solutions exist — like pulling out of Syria where we Americans have NO legal right to be.

FYI, Heads of State can invite other nations to participate if they are attacked and get UN approval to do so. Assad asked Russia, Syria’s decades-long trading partners, to assist with the rebels fomenting a “civil war.” These “rebels” unfortunately were mostly hired mercenary/terrorists even in the beginning. This was never a legitimate civil war, but a war instigated by Saudi, Qatar, Israeli and US money and “energy” interests. It is all about oil, gas and pipelines in addition to the centuries of hatred between Muslim rival groups. We should have NEVER gotten mixed up in this horrendous affair.

For truth, fair play, goodwill and solutions that are beneficial for all concerned,

Sharon

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Sputnik News
October 1, 2016

Top US General: Hillary’s No Fly Zone Strategy Would ‘Require’ War With Russia

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford warned Congress that the implementation of a No Fly Zone, a centerpiece of Hillary’s foreign policy strategy, would result in World War III.

During testimony before the Senate Committee on Armed Services last week General Joseph Dunford rang the alarm over a policy shift that is gaining more traction within the halls of Washington following the collapse of the ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia in Syria saying that it could result in a major international war which he was not prepared to advocate on behalf of.

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Hi all,

When listening to the October 9 debate between Hillary and Trump, I heard Hillary come out emphatically saying that Russia was responsible for hacking America’s emails to tamper with our election process. I wondered how it had been determined that this was the truth, sufficient for this bold, declarative sentence. Maybe I had missed something? I have hardly watched any of the TV news regarding this election Was it really so? Surely she wouldn’t tell a bald-faced lie to a world-wide audience during the debates without specific information.

So I immediately canvassed a dozen people “in the know” on our E list to learn how this information was attained. In retrospect, there is NO evidence that this assertion was the truth. If it had been these people would have definitely known about it and could give references. Regardless of which candidate one is listening to today, they cannot be depended on to tell the truth. They apparently feel utterly comfortable to say with confidence anything they wish, whether it is true or false.

We have come to a low point in our political discourse …. and public discourse for that matter. This does not bode well for our future or the future of America.

Sharon

Canvassed comments follow:

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Friends it is no accident that VVPutin so carefully choses his words to avoid inflaming situations, continues to call Americans “our Western Partners” even though in Washington, he’s routinely been likened to Hitler, Stalin, a thug and all manner of epithets for years now. Amazing ability to handle such encounters with grace! It certainly is putting out a message to the world about the value of a classical man who attempts to be honest, straightforward and leaves doors open for dialogue. If this is the result of early martial arts philosophy and training, we need to be getting our youngsters enrolled.

Sharon

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President of Russia Website
October 12, 2016

Answers to questions from French journalists from TF1 TV channel

The interview was recorded on October 11, 2016 in Kovrov, Vladimir Region.

President Putin answers questions from French journalists from TF1 TV channel.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: How did you end up here? This is a just a small provincial town. These days, you find French people wherever you go in Russia, in every village. This is very good and we are pleased to see it.

Question (retranslated): Mr President, could you explain why you are not going to Paris?

Vladimir Putin: It’s very simple. We had planned to hold an official opening ceremony for the newly built Russian religious and cultural centre in Paris. From the looks of things though, this is not the best moment for official meetings, given the lack of mutual understanding, to put it mildly, that we have over events in Syria, particularly the situation in Aleppo. But we are always open, of course, to any consultations and dialogue on this matter.

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Friends,

We may begin to see the Washington/NATO house of cards totter before this year ends.

By pushing the “threat-of-war card,” while U.S. Congress members endorse forcing Russia to depart Syria, the West’s bluff has been called by Russia. This is where the dangerous and unpredictable situation stands as of this writing. With U.S. mainstream media remaining silent, Internet news services and now former U.S ambassadors and other authorities are popping out of the woodwork with their much needed perspectives. They call for backing off and recognizing Russia’s legitimate concerns rather than demonizing and threatening consequences that could go nuclear in minutes.

Robert E. Hunter, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (1993 – 1998), who also has held many strategic positions since 1970, spells out a different position in the article below. His is a clear picture of how Washington missed one opportunity after another to pursue common-sense policies with Russia. Although the situation is near irretrievable at this late date, Hunter nonetheless remains somewhat hopeful that progress may be made after the November Presidential election.

Let’s hope more authorities like this Ambassador choose to “Speak Truth to Power” to our Congress and to the American public at large during this critical period.

Sharon

PS: If you wish to pass a short message to Ambassador Hunter, send to me and I’ll pass to him via email.

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LobeLog Foreign Policy
October 6, 2016

Ukraine and Syria: Linked Together by Russia

by Robert E. Hunter

The United States and Russia are now at daggers drawn over Syria. Following the collapse of the ceasefire negotiated last month by Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the United States has abandoned talks with the Russians on Syria. Meanwhile, in a supposedly unrelated part of the relationship, Russia has suspended the 2000 agreement between the two countries on ridding themselves of excess stocks of weapons-grade plutonium.

Not since Russia seized Crimea in February 2014 and began incursions, directly and through “little green men,” into other parts of Ukraine have relations between Moscow and Washington been so poor.

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