Geopolitical Mosaic: The Baltic has bowed to Washington, and the Fox News journalist advises Obama to infringe both Russia and Putin
Major successes of the Syrian army. - Why failed anti-Syrian operation of the West in Syria. - Fatwa against croissants. - About Israel, Palestine and John Kerry. - Catherine Ashton visited Muhammad Mursi. - Tunisia against the "Arab Spring". - Somali "roof". - Pakistan has a new president. - The turn of the Japanese defense policy. - The Japanese about the Russian "window dressing." - Dad for gays. - How the Nazi Bank of England served. - British intelligence officers surprised the Chinese company "Lenovo". - Bell dedicated to Hitler. - In Finland, human rights have ended and state law has begun. - Against medical "tourism." - In Moldova, began to fine for the Russian language. - Yatsenyuk will protect both Ukraine and Russia. - American millions - to Georgian biological weapon? - Breivik wanted to get a second degree. - The question of the extradition of Chalovsky is postponed. - Baltics bowed to Washington. - The verdict on the Manning case. - Lon Snowden will not fly to Moscow. - The US Army in bulk buys cartridges of Soviet standards. - US fears to overpay for Mi-17. - Komi instead of Muller. - Five days without food and water. - For houses in Detroit do not give a dollar. - Tips journalist Mr. Obama.
Major successes of the Syrian army. Restored security in the quarter of Al Khaldiya in the city of Homs. In a statement to the correspondent SANA One of the commanders of the Syrian army welcomed all the valiant soldiers who had contributed to the expulsion of mercenary terrorists from Al-Khaldi.
He noted that this quarter is strategically important. Taking it under control blocks the supply routes of terrorist groups remaining in the quarters of the Old City.
The head of the public organization “Association of National Reconciliation”, Sheikh Saleh En-Noaymi, expressed his best wishes to the Syrian army fighters in continuing their mission of clearing the country from terrorists. Sheikh confirmed that anyone who puts down their arms can return to normal life - provided that he will never return to acts against the Motherland.
Why failed anti-Syrian operation of the West in Syria. The French newspaper Le Figaro criticized American, French and British politicians for their methods regarding the crisis in Syria. Their position is characterized as naive.
As noted by SANA, Arnold Gerard in the article "Why are we so wrong in Syria?" He stressed that the failure of the West in the SAR is connected with Europeans not knowing the essence of what is happening in this country and throughout the East and an attempt to pass what they want.
According to the author, the West thought that, considering the crisis in Syria, it is enough to characterize it as a contradiction between the “young democrats” and the “old autocrats”. It does not take into account that the conflict is between Islamists and secular forces.
The publicist criticized the famous statements of Hillary Clinton, David Cameron and other politicians regarding Syria. He compared them with the act of the doctors who signed the conclusion about the death of the patient at the time when he was alive. For more than two years, these people continue to talk about the “collapse” of the political system in the SAR, but events have proven that things are not going the way the NATO countries would like.
According to the author, one of the reasons for the disgraceful failure of the West in Syria is an attempt to compare what is happening in the country with the events in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. “We in the West live in a state of political blindness,” comrade Gerard admitted.
Fatwa against croissants. The Sharia Committee of Aleppo, the stronghold of the Syrian opposition, issued a fatwa in which croissants were declared unsuitable for Muslims by food because of their “colonial” origin, reports "RT".
The shape of the crescent (croissant in French - “crescent”), according to the Aleppo Committee, is a sign of Europeans' victory over Muslims.
About Israel, Palestine and John Kerry. In Washington, at the initiative of US Secretary of State John Kerry, direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were resumed, reports RIA News".
The dialogue began on Monday evening with Kerry’s dinner with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads the delegation from Tel Aviv, and the head of the Palestinian delegation, Saib Oreikat. On Tuesday, they were received by Barack Obama. Bilateral negotiations took place.
Before Israel and the Palestinians - a familiar set of problems: permanent borders, the fate of Palestinian refugees, the status of Jerusalem.
The negotiators agreed to resolve the conflict within nine months. This was announced on Tuesday by John Kerry.
The dialogue will be continued soon. “The parties will meet within two weeks either in Israel or in the Palestinian territories to begin formal negotiations,” Kerry said at a press conference.
According to Kerry, the creation of a Palestinian state is the only possible solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Catherine Ashton visited Muhammad Mursi. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton met with the ousted Egyptian President. At the conclusion of this meeting, the European Commissioner reported that Mursi was in good health, says Artyom Kobzev ("Voice of Russia").
The meeting took place on the night from Monday to Tuesday. The conversation lasted about two hours. Where they met Ashton and Mursi, not reported. It is only known that to meet with the ex-ruler, the head of European diplomacy flew out of Cairo in an army helicopter. Here is what Boris Dolgov, a senior fellow at the Center for Arab Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies, told Voice of Russia:
Before meeting with M. Mursi, Baroness Ashton held other meetings with representatives of the new Egyptian government and their Islamist opponents. All of them Ashton urged to sit at the negotiating table.
Tunisia against the "Arab Spring". Following Egypt, it may “flare up” in another country reaping the benefits of the “Arab spring”, write Alexei Zabrodin and Maxim Makarychev ("Russian newspaper").
Unlike Egypt, where Islamists are rioting today against the military, Tunisians who have taken to the streets are demanding the removal of Islamists from power.
The catalyst for the confrontation here was the murder of MP Mohammed Brahmi. The criminals fired fourteen bullets at someone who was known for sharply criticizing the Islamists. His relatives suspect that behind the crime stands the Revival Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.
Correspondents of the newspaper note that the Islamists in power failed to achieve economic and social successes.
On Saturday after Brahmi’s funeral in the capital, several thousand people besieged the building of the National Constituent Assembly. Young people chanted: “No fear, no fear, power to the people!” Representatives of the “Popular Front” (coalition of the Tunisian democratic parties of the left and centrist orientation) began a sit-in strike. They demanded the dissolution of the government and the national assembly.
The police applied tear gas and batons to the protesters. One of the leaders of the anti-government coalition Mongie Rahey was severely beaten.
The situation is complicated by the fact that several thousand of his supporters have come forward to support the government. According to Western media, they are aggressively disposed and call their opponents “Communists who will not be allowed to come to power”.
Somali "roof". After the last few attempts of the Somali pirates to seize the ships ended in failure, they began to "protect" the fishermen-poachers. This tells Anna Fedyakina ("Russian newspaper"), referring to the UN report on the situation in the Gulf of Aden.
On the 500 pages of the report, experts describe the illegal sources of income for Somalis and point out the mistakes of a corrupt government.
About 180 ships from Iran, 300 from Yemen, plus several Chinese, Korean and European, are protected by Somali pirates.
“Fishermen from the Pantland region in northern Somalia confirmed that on board such vessels there is a team of mercenary guards who had recently engaged in piracy in the same waters,” the United Nations report said.
Pirate guards help poachers set up nets and open fire on legal fishermen to get rid of competitors.
“In this way, we can earn money, since we no longer manage to abduct ships,” admitted the pirate Bile Hussein. “When you start with one thing, the idea of a new one comes.”
Pakistan has a new president. 12-m in a row President of Pakistan’s Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif’s faction) became president of Pakistan. The overwhelming majority of deputies of the lower and upper chambers of the federal parliament (the National Assembly and the Senate), as well as parliaments of all provinces of the Islamic republic, voted for him, "Voice of Russia" with reference to the RIA "News».
According to the constitution of Pakistan, the president is elected for a five-year term. At the same time, the head of state is a nominal figure: the full power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister, who becomes the representative of the party that won the parliamentary elections.
Having won the presidential election, Mamnun Hussein will take the oath and take up his duties on 9 this September, when the term of office of the current President Asif Zardari expires.
The turn of the Japanese defense policy. The Japanese Ministry of Defense issued a report containing measures to strengthen the role of the country's armed forces. The ministry is concerned about both the “growing military threat from China” and the DPRK nuclear missile program. This was told by Oleg Kiryanov ("Russian newspaper").
According to experts, with the approval of the document by the government, it will become the cornerstone in the fundamental reversal of Tokyo’s defense policy.
“The situation around our country in the area of national security continues to deteriorate,” the report says. “The development trends of China’s military capabilities include options under which unexpected situations may arise that pose a threat to the region, the international community and our state.”
The document proposed to intensify the collection and analysis of intelligence information, make extensive use of UAVs, create units that would undertake to ensure the protection of disputed islands in the East China Sea, as well as expand opportunities in terms of coastal combat operations and the landing of naval landing.
The military-political alliance with the United States will remain the basis of Tokyo’s defense policy. In its framework, it was proposed to develop joint anti-missile forces, primarily to counter the increased nuclear threat from the DPRK.
Japanese about Russian "window dressing". The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, won a crushing victory in elections to the upper house, which reinforced the idea that the Abe government would remain stable for a long time, the newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported. "InoTV"). In light of this, the Russian government, headed by Putin, will undoubtedly take various measures.
However, most of them are likely to turn out to be a “pretense”, which is designed to shatter Japan. The Abe government should not fall for it. The newspaper advises him to "sit and watch" - thus waiting for the Russian side to lose patience.
Not surprisingly, we’ll add on our own that Japan does not like such “window dressing”.
Dad for gay. Pope said that gays should be integrated into society. According to him, priests with homosexual orientation should be forgiven, and their sins are forgotten, transfers "BBC".
“If someone is gay, but is looking for God, and he has good intentions, who am I to condemn him?” Francis said at a press conference.
Pope clarified that, according to church laws, orientation is not a sin, unlike homosexual contacts.
How the Nazi Bank of England served. Nearly seven decades after the end of World War II, the Bank of England admitted that he helped the German Nazis sell Czechoslovak gold they had stolen. This is evidenced by the first published chronicle of the British central bank, dating back to the middle of the 1950-s, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Roman Podervyansky.
After the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, the British regulator implemented the "yellow metal" on behalf of Reichsbank. More than 2 thousand bars (at 5,6 million pounds sterling) were confiscated by the Nazis from the Czechoslovak central bank - through a census of accounts. Physically, most of them were in London. The operations were carried out under the pressure of the Basel Bank for International Settlements. The measures of the Bank of England were taken contrary to the policy line of the British government.
According to the Financial Times, at current prices the cost of Czechoslovak gold would be 736 million pounds.
The Bank of England's published records show that in May-June 1939, this gold on behalf of Reichsbank was sold and shipped to the United States. It was noted that the governor of the British central bank could not block operations: then "peace agreements" would have been violated. But after the start of World War II, the government demanded that the Bank of England not act on the instructions of the BIS, "if it is clear that this will most likely benefit the enemy."
British intelligence officers surprised the Chinese company "Lenovo". MI-6 and MI-5 "refuse to use Lenovo computers - for fear that the Chinese make them vulnerable to hacking," writes Kaal Milmo ("Independent"; source abbr. translation - "Inopressa").
British intelligence services, including MI-6 and MI-5, have banned the use of computers manufactured by the Chinese company Lenovo. Testing conducted by MI-5 and the UK Government Communications Center, found in the electronic circuit of these computers modifications that open access to devices without the knowledge of their owners.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the discovery led to a written warning circulated among the alliance of British, American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand special services Five Eyes, including the NSA.
The largest manufacturer of personal computers in the world, Lenovo, by the way, supported by the Chinese government, expressed "surprise" with such a step and rejected the allegations of any problems with the machines.
It is noted that earlier the Chinese company Huawei Technologies fell victim to similar suspicions. She was suspended from the right to claim contracts in Australia for 24 billion pounds.
Bell dedicated to Hitler. Residents of the Austrian settlement of Wolfpassing did not pay attention to the bell, which beat the clock on the bell tower of the local castle. And now historians have discovered a dedication to Adolf Hitler on the bell, reports the channel "RT" with reference to the Associated Press.
The Nazi-covered bell was fortified in the Wolfpassing castle in 1938, when Hitler annexed Austria to the Third Reich. The inscription glorifies the Austrian Hitler. The authors of the inscription call it the "unifier of Germany", which will free the "Eastern Mark" (the medieval name of Austria) from the dominance of "alien elements."
In Finland, human rights have ended and the state law has begun. A group of European women sent an open letter to Pavel Astakhov with a request to file a class action lawsuit against Finland because of systemic violations of the rights of children, parents and families, reports "RT".
“We, many Finnish parents, are deeply concerned about the situation of children living in Finland and about the violation of human rights in Finland. We demand the establishment of legality in the protection of children, ”the Interfax letter quotes.
Among the authors of the letter are residents of various cities in the country: Turku, Millykoski, Hyvinkää. They claim that, at the request of social workers, children can be taken away from school or kindergarten by the police and, having no facts, but based only on the assumptions of social workers, children can be handed over to custody.
The letter says: “In most cases, the decision is made to remove the child from the family. Only in 7% of all cases a decision is made to stop the transfer of the child to the care of the guardianship. ”
The authors asked Russia to raise this question, because in Finland itself they are silent about this practice.
Against medical "tourism." State Duma deputies decided to change the order of entry of foreigners in Russia and oblige them to buy a medical insurance policy, reports "RT". According to the newspaper "Izvestia", the legislators are not satisfied that hundreds of millions of budget rubles are spent on providing medical assistance to foreigners.
The author of the initiative is United Russia deputy Alexei Zhuravlev. He explained that this measure is intended to stop illegal “medical tourism” when citizens of the CIS come to Russia for free medical care. First of all, women in labor and people with complex diseases "sin".
By law, foreigners arriving in the country without a visa are not required to present medical insurance. If necessary, medical care is free.
At the suggestion of Zhuravlev, the amendments should not apply to emergency assistance (in case of terrorist attacks, accidents, etc.). But emergency care, which includes including childbirth, visitors must pay for themselves.
The deputy says: “The Russians, going abroad, buy insurance, it is logical. In the absence of it, most civilized countries provide medical assistance, but then they invoice, which is tens of thousands of euros. We believe that this practice should be introduced in our country. ”
According to the deputy, a foreigner who received medical care and who does not have money to pay for it, is subject to immediate deportation.
Other parliamentarians agree with Zhuravlev. According to the head of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Sergei Kalashnikov, "Russia has actually become a maternity hospital for the CIS countries." “If an employer hires guest workers, he must resolve the issue of health insurance, paying the necessary amount one time a year,” he says.
In Moldova, began to fine for the Russian language. For the first time, Moldovan law enforcement authorities issued a fine for using banners with inscriptions in Russian. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to RIA "News".
The penalty for using the Russian language was issued by the authorities of the city of Balti. The defendant is the League of the Russian Youth of Moldova, 17 July, organized a protest timed to the visit to the Republic of the President of Romania.
According to the protocol, the organizers of the demonstration used two “advertising posters” with “informative texts in Russian”, thereby violating the relevant article of the administrative code of Moldova. The leader of the Balts cell of the League of Russian Youth, Viktor Kalashnikov, was fined Lei (a little over a thousand rubles).
A corresponding statement was published on the League’s website, in which the actions of the Moldovan authorities are called “fascist methods” and compared with the struggle against the Russian language during the “Romanian occupation of Moldova”.
Yatsenyuk will protect both Ukraine and Russia. The leader of the Batkivshchyna Arseny Yatsenyuk believes that only the Ukrainian fleet should be based in the Crimea. He stated this to journalists at a briefing on Sunday in Kiev at the monument to Prince Vladimir, reports "Ukrainian Truth" with reference to the agency "Interfax-Ukraine".
The politician noted: “I consider the signing and ratification of the so-called Kharkiv agreements to be one of the key mistakes of the current president. This is unconstitutional, it is anti-state and anti-Ukrainian. On the territory of Sevastopol should be exclusively Ukrainian naval forces. "
Yatsenyuk stressed: "We are able to defend ourselves, and if necessary, we are also able to defend our neighbors, I mean the Russians,".
American millions - on Georgian biological weapons? In Georgia, they can produce biological weapons under the control of the Americans. Similar accusations appeared after it became aware of the creation of a research center in Georgia with US money. Details - from the correspondent "Voices of Russia" Boris Murashkina.
It is not for the first time that the production of biological weapons and artificial viruses has been accused by the Richard Lugar Public Health Research Center. 270 million dollars for the opening of the laboratory allocated by the Americans. But the head of the laboratories Gia Kamkamidze denies all the charges:
However, the spread of bird flu in the 2011 year, and the measles epidemic at the end of 2012, many in Georgia associated with the existence of the laboratory. And then there's Comrade Onishchenko. The chief sanitary doctor of Russia believes that the massive loss of pigs in the Krasnodar Territory is a planned economic sabotage from the Georgian side.
Archil Chkoidze, an independent expert, believes that Georgian officials are hiding the truth:
The Lugar Research Center, the correspondent notes, remains in Georgia one of the most closed organizations.
Breivik wanted to get a second degree. Anders Breivik applied for admission to the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Oslo, and Ila prison director supported the prisoner in an effort to get a higher education.
"The prison is always trying to ensure that its prisoners receive an education," the prison head quoted "Vesti" with reference to Interfax. “So they can get a job when they go free.”
Some teachers of the Faculty of Political Science have already announced that they will refuse to train the criminal. University rector Peter Ottersen said he was in solidarity with them. True, he noted that the statement of Breivik will be considered in a general manner.
Earlier, Breivik graduated from the Norwegian School of Management.
The question of the extradition of Chalovsky is postponed. The government of Latvia has postponed consideration of the issue of extradition to the United States of a citizen of the republic Denis Chalovsky, who is accused by the American authorities of creating and distributing a virus that has infected more than a million computers around the world, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Maria Ivanova.
Who opposed the extradition of Chalovsky? It turns out that objections were received from the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, the environment and regional development, education and science, internal affairs, and economics.
The government plans to decide on this issue next week, when the decision of the Constitutional Court of Latvia will be known (representatives of the accused filed a lawsuit there).
In total, three people are involved in the hacker case: Chalovsky, a citizen of the Russian Federation Nikita Kuzmin and a citizen of Romania, Mihai Paunescu. According to the US authorities, with the help of a computer virus, the defendants obtained illegal access to banking information and stole money from individuals and legal entities, as well as government agencies. According to investigators, the damage from their actions amounted to at least 50 million dollars, NASA's 160 computers were among the infected. Kuzmin is under arrest in New York; in relation to Chalovsky and Paunescu, the US authorities are conducting an extradition procedure.
Baltics bowed to Washington. Barack Obama invited all three Baltic presidents to Washington. Dalia Grybauskaite, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Andris Berzins 30 of August should meet with the President of the United States, reports "NewsBalt".
The Lithuanian President said: “The United States understands the challenges facing Lithuania and the rest of the Baltic States, and cooperation with the United States in recent years has become more intense than ever. America is the main partner who supported the extension of the mission of the NATO air police in the Baltic countries for an unlimited time. According to the plans of the Alliance, the largest military exercises will take place in the region this year. ”
At the same time, the head of Lithuania stressed that the United States is an important partner of Lithuania in the field of energy security. Lithuania is interested in the United States to simplify the export of shale gas to NATO countries: this would help to ensure competitive prices for Lithuanian residents.
The threefold call from Washington gave Michael Sheinkman the irony ("Voice of Russia").
Verdict in the Manning case. In the United States announced the verdict in the case of Bradley Manning. The military tribunal found the US Army ordinary innocent to assist the enemy, but refused to justify under other articles, including disobeying a lawful order, transferring secret information to unauthorized persons or other states, reports Interfax with reference to The New York Times.
The decision of the military judge, who justified Manning under the "hard" article, saved the soldier from life imprisonment. The maximum term for the remaining crimes is twenty years in prison.
As the American newspaper notes, recognizing the defendant guilty of helping the enemy would create a dangerous precedent for journalists who actively use “leaks”.
What time period B. Manning will receive for his work will be revealed today: the verdict will be passed in 17: 30 Moscow time.
Lon Snowden will not fly to Moscow. The FBI unsuccessfully tried to arrange a trip to Moscow for Father Edward Snowden to convince his son to return to his homeland. About this 52-year-old Lon Snowden said in an interview with the Washington Post, writes correspondent ITAR-TASS Andrey Surzhansky.
Snowden Sr. reported that the American intelligence services appealed to him with a request to go to Moscow. As the Washington Post observes, it is not clear why the negotiations with the FBI did not end with anything and why Lon Snowden did not go to Russia on his own. The father of the ex-CIA officer also said that he did not want to serve in the hands of the special services as an instrument that influenced his son.
Snowden Sr. stated that Edward must remain in Russia. He believes that in the US, his son is waiting for a "terrible treatment." Earlier, Lon claimed that his son could return to the United States to stand trial.
The US Army in bulk purchases cartridges of Soviet standards. As Keith Daniels writes (Infowars.com; source of translation - Mixednews.ru), the US Army intends to acquire about three million sets of Russian ammunition samples of the Soviet era, which are especially popular among the US civilian population. 18 July on the federal site "Business Opportunities" published an appeal by the leadership of the US Army to the suppliers of weapons that they are interested in purchasing the following types of ammunition: 2550000 sets of general-purpose combat cartridges 7,62х39 mm; 575000 of single cartridges 7,62x39 mm; 425000 sets of 9x18 mm live ammunition for a Makarov pistol. Purchased ammunition will be stored in military warehouses in the camps Stanley (Texas) and Blue Grass (Kentucky).
This strange appeal of an organization associated with advanced military technology is puzzling. Is it possible that the weapon will be in the hands of the Syrian militants? After all, pistols from which you can shoot 9x18 mm cartridges are popular among Syrian militants: Syria has received weapons from the Soviet Union for more than 20 years.
US fears overpay for Mi-17. Julian Barnes ("The Wall Street Journal"; source abbr. translation - "Inopressa") cites a statement by a human rights group opposing the purchase of Russian helicopters for Afghanistan.
“The accusations that the Pentagon is overpaying millions for Mi-17 military helicopters can exacerbate disputes between lawmakers opposed to this deal and the generals, who consider it strategically important for the Afghan security forces,” writes Barnes.
According to the organization “Human Rights First”, it received information about prices, which appear in a number of contracts for the supply of Mi-17 helicopters in recent years, from a representative of the defense industry. The production of one helicopter in 2008 required 4,4 million dollars. In 2010, Russia exported them at prices ranging from 12,7 to 13,8 million dollars per unit. During the last purchase, the Pentagon paid more than 18 million, and in future contracts the price is likely to increase to 19 million dollars.
Komi instead of Muller. US senators approved James Komi new director of the FBI. His candidacy was proposed by Obama. Komi will replace Robert Muller, who led the FBI for twelve years, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to RIA "News".
Komi was the Deputy Prosecutor General in the Administration of President George W. Bush, Senior Vice President of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Chief Consultant for the Bridgewater Associates Investment Company. Now Komi 52 is a senior researcher at Columbia University. He also participates in the Board of Directors of the international bank HSBC.
Five days without food and water. The American student Daniel Chong, who was detained in California on suspicion of drug possession and nearly died because of the negligence of the investigators, will receive compensation in the amount of 4,1 million dollars, they report "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
The investigation found that after a brief interrogation of the young man was placed in an insulator. For five days the student remained in the cell without food and water until the staff of the Office for Combating Drugs found his body. The young man was taken to the hospital, where he spent a week between life and death.
After being discharged, the student sued. Yesterday, the San Diego court ordered the authorities to pay compensation to the victim for physical and moral damage.
For houses in Detroit do not give a dollar. As transmits correspondent ITAR-TASS Alexander BekrenevaSome apartment buildings in Detroit are priced at one dollar.
Such houses are enough throughout the city. Most of them are for sale by banks. They seized property from the owners for debts, and now they are trying to get rid of them in order not to pay taxes. Property tax in Detroit is one of the highest in the United States.
Tips journalist Mr. Obama. The bout between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin has been going on for five years now, and for now Putin has won in all rounds, analyst Kathleen Macfarland notes (Fox News; publication source "InoTV"). The journalist offers Obama to try to beat Putin in his own field.
Putin’s biographer, Fiona Hill, says that the Russian president likes to crawl into people and then play on the weaknesses he discovered. It is time for Obama to show something to Mr. Putin: “To hit Putin where it’s hardest, is because of his ego”.
How to spoil the image of Putin?
1. It is necessary to complicate the holding of the September G20 summit in St. Petersburg. At a minimum, a personal meeting of the leaders in Moscow should be canceled on the eve of the summit, an American analyst advises.
2. One of the top US universities could offer a post in his state to Alexei Navalny - after he has been in a Russian prison.
3. It is possible to give more weight to the reports of analytical reports that hard times have come for the Russian energy industry. At the same time it would be nice to organize “leaks”, according to which the American special services analyze the consequences of the collapse of the Russian economy. What kind of collapse? And the one that will come if Moscow fails to get investment and technology from abroad for the development of new oil fields. Russia did not manage to create an export-oriented economy outside the energy sector, because “who needs Russian cars, computers or clothes?”
4. The State Department and the Pentagon may again return to the issue of missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic. And Obama could stop on the way to the G20 summit to meet with the President of Poland, and with him grab a couple of energy experts and discuss how America can help Poland with the development of gas fields.
5. It can be hinted that the United States is concerned about the security of the future Olympics in Sochi - because of Chechnya. Kathleen McFarland adds: "However, contrary to those senators who offer to boycott her, let us better win all the medals that come to hand."
This whole strategy fits under the Old Testament commandment: an eye for an eye. In following this commandment in the geopolitical field, the journalist believes, the Americans must outrun the Russians.
Major successes of the Syrian army. Restored security in the quarter of Al Khaldiya in the city of Homs. In a statement to the correspondent SANA One of the commanders of the Syrian army welcomed all the valiant soldiers who had contributed to the expulsion of mercenary terrorists from Al-Khaldi.
He noted that this quarter is strategically important. Taking it under control blocks the supply routes of terrorist groups remaining in the quarters of the Old City.
The head of the public organization “Association of National Reconciliation”, Sheikh Saleh En-Noaymi, expressed his best wishes to the Syrian army fighters in continuing their mission of clearing the country from terrorists. Sheikh confirmed that anyone who puts down their arms can return to normal life - provided that he will never return to acts against the Motherland.
Why failed anti-Syrian operation of the West in Syria. The French newspaper Le Figaro criticized American, French and British politicians for their methods regarding the crisis in Syria. Their position is characterized as naive.
As noted by SANA, Arnold Gerard in the article "Why are we so wrong in Syria?" He stressed that the failure of the West in the SAR is connected with Europeans not knowing the essence of what is happening in this country and throughout the East and an attempt to pass what they want.
According to the author, the West thought that, considering the crisis in Syria, it is enough to characterize it as a contradiction between the “young democrats” and the “old autocrats”. It does not take into account that the conflict is between Islamists and secular forces.
The publicist criticized the famous statements of Hillary Clinton, David Cameron and other politicians regarding Syria. He compared them with the act of the doctors who signed the conclusion about the death of the patient at the time when he was alive. For more than two years, these people continue to talk about the “collapse” of the political system in the SAR, but events have proven that things are not going the way the NATO countries would like.
According to the author, one of the reasons for the disgraceful failure of the West in Syria is an attempt to compare what is happening in the country with the events in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. “We in the West live in a state of political blindness,” comrade Gerard admitted.
Fatwa against croissants. The Sharia Committee of Aleppo, the stronghold of the Syrian opposition, issued a fatwa in which croissants were declared unsuitable for Muslims by food because of their “colonial” origin, reports "RT".
The shape of the crescent (croissant in French - “crescent”), according to the Aleppo Committee, is a sign of Europeans' victory over Muslims.
About Israel, Palestine and John Kerry. In Washington, at the initiative of US Secretary of State John Kerry, direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were resumed, reports RIA News".
The dialogue began on Monday evening with Kerry’s dinner with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads the delegation from Tel Aviv, and the head of the Palestinian delegation, Saib Oreikat. On Tuesday, they were received by Barack Obama. Bilateral negotiations took place.
Before Israel and the Palestinians - a familiar set of problems: permanent borders, the fate of Palestinian refugees, the status of Jerusalem.
The negotiators agreed to resolve the conflict within nine months. This was announced on Tuesday by John Kerry.
The dialogue will be continued soon. “The parties will meet within two weeks either in Israel or in the Palestinian territories to begin formal negotiations,” Kerry said at a press conference.
According to Kerry, the creation of a Palestinian state is the only possible solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Catherine Ashton visited Muhammad Mursi. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton met with the ousted Egyptian President. At the conclusion of this meeting, the European Commissioner reported that Mursi was in good health, says Artyom Kobzev ("Voice of Russia").
The meeting took place on the night from Monday to Tuesday. The conversation lasted about two hours. Where they met Ashton and Mursi, not reported. It is only known that to meet with the ex-ruler, the head of European diplomacy flew out of Cairo in an army helicopter. Here is what Boris Dolgov, a senior fellow at the Center for Arab Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies, told Voice of Russia:
“Yes, Ashton met with Mursi. It seems to me that this was primarily done by the Egyptian authorities in order to demonstrate that Mursi is alive and well and that all norms of international law are respected with regard to the president who is removed from power. What specifically talked Mursi and Ashton, not reported. But there is indirect evidence. It was probably about assessing Mursi of what happened in Egypt, about his wishes and, let's say, the proposals to the European Union. Naturally, in order to restore him as president. ”
Before meeting with M. Mursi, Baroness Ashton held other meetings with representatives of the new Egyptian government and their Islamist opponents. All of them Ashton urged to sit at the negotiating table.
Tunisia against the "Arab Spring". Following Egypt, it may “flare up” in another country reaping the benefits of the “Arab spring”, write Alexei Zabrodin and Maxim Makarychev ("Russian newspaper").
Unlike Egypt, where Islamists are rioting today against the military, Tunisians who have taken to the streets are demanding the removal of Islamists from power.
The catalyst for the confrontation here was the murder of MP Mohammed Brahmi. The criminals fired fourteen bullets at someone who was known for sharply criticizing the Islamists. His relatives suspect that behind the crime stands the Revival Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.
Correspondents of the newspaper note that the Islamists in power failed to achieve economic and social successes.
On Saturday after Brahmi’s funeral in the capital, several thousand people besieged the building of the National Constituent Assembly. Young people chanted: “No fear, no fear, power to the people!” Representatives of the “Popular Front” (coalition of the Tunisian democratic parties of the left and centrist orientation) began a sit-in strike. They demanded the dissolution of the government and the national assembly.
The police applied tear gas and batons to the protesters. One of the leaders of the anti-government coalition Mongie Rahey was severely beaten.
The situation is complicated by the fact that several thousand of his supporters have come forward to support the government. According to Western media, they are aggressively disposed and call their opponents “Communists who will not be allowed to come to power”.
Somali "roof". After the last few attempts of the Somali pirates to seize the ships ended in failure, they began to "protect" the fishermen-poachers. This tells Anna Fedyakina ("Russian newspaper"), referring to the UN report on the situation in the Gulf of Aden.
On the 500 pages of the report, experts describe the illegal sources of income for Somalis and point out the mistakes of a corrupt government.
About 180 ships from Iran, 300 from Yemen, plus several Chinese, Korean and European, are protected by Somali pirates.
“Fishermen from the Pantland region in northern Somalia confirmed that on board such vessels there is a team of mercenary guards who had recently engaged in piracy in the same waters,” the United Nations report said.
Pirate guards help poachers set up nets and open fire on legal fishermen to get rid of competitors.
“In this way, we can earn money, since we no longer manage to abduct ships,” admitted the pirate Bile Hussein. “When you start with one thing, the idea of a new one comes.”
Pakistan has a new president. 12-m in a row President of Pakistan’s Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif’s faction) became president of Pakistan. The overwhelming majority of deputies of the lower and upper chambers of the federal parliament (the National Assembly and the Senate), as well as parliaments of all provinces of the Islamic republic, voted for him, "Voice of Russia" with reference to the RIA "News».
According to the constitution of Pakistan, the president is elected for a five-year term. At the same time, the head of state is a nominal figure: the full power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister, who becomes the representative of the party that won the parliamentary elections.
Having won the presidential election, Mamnun Hussein will take the oath and take up his duties on 9 this September, when the term of office of the current President Asif Zardari expires.
The turn of the Japanese defense policy. The Japanese Ministry of Defense issued a report containing measures to strengthen the role of the country's armed forces. The ministry is concerned about both the “growing military threat from China” and the DPRK nuclear missile program. This was told by Oleg Kiryanov ("Russian newspaper").
According to experts, with the approval of the document by the government, it will become the cornerstone in the fundamental reversal of Tokyo’s defense policy.
“The situation around our country in the area of national security continues to deteriorate,” the report says. “The development trends of China’s military capabilities include options under which unexpected situations may arise that pose a threat to the region, the international community and our state.”
The document proposed to intensify the collection and analysis of intelligence information, make extensive use of UAVs, create units that would undertake to ensure the protection of disputed islands in the East China Sea, as well as expand opportunities in terms of coastal combat operations and the landing of naval landing.
The military-political alliance with the United States will remain the basis of Tokyo’s defense policy. In its framework, it was proposed to develop joint anti-missile forces, primarily to counter the increased nuclear threat from the DPRK.
Japanese about Russian "window dressing". The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, won a crushing victory in elections to the upper house, which reinforced the idea that the Abe government would remain stable for a long time, the newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported. "InoTV"). In light of this, the Russian government, headed by Putin, will undoubtedly take various measures.
However, most of them are likely to turn out to be a “pretense”, which is designed to shatter Japan. The Abe government should not fall for it. The newspaper advises him to "sit and watch" - thus waiting for the Russian side to lose patience.
“Within the framework of Putin’s“ showy ”tactics with respect to Japan, the Japanese side should be especially careful with the incentives to“ create a favorable environment. ” This technique imposes on the Japanese side such an illusion: if it works to create a favorable environment and spends energy on improving Japanese-Russian relations as a whole, this would allegedly entail a return of the “territories”.
Then tell me, to what extent should Japan cooperate with the Russian side in order to create a favorable environment for Moscow to return the four islands? This question does not just have a definite answer, even its decision itself remains entirely with the Russian side. And then it turns out that the Japanese side will be forced until the end of time to maintain cooperation with the Russian side in the economy, medicine, agriculture, the field of scientific technology and other areas. ”
Then tell me, to what extent should Japan cooperate with the Russian side in order to create a favorable environment for Moscow to return the four islands? This question does not just have a definite answer, even its decision itself remains entirely with the Russian side. And then it turns out that the Japanese side will be forced until the end of time to maintain cooperation with the Russian side in the economy, medicine, agriculture, the field of scientific technology and other areas. ”
Not surprisingly, we’ll add on our own that Japan does not like such “window dressing”.
Dad for gay. Pope said that gays should be integrated into society. According to him, priests with homosexual orientation should be forgiven, and their sins are forgotten, transfers "BBC".
“If someone is gay, but is looking for God, and he has good intentions, who am I to condemn him?” Francis said at a press conference.
Pope clarified that, according to church laws, orientation is not a sin, unlike homosexual contacts.
How the Nazi Bank of England served. Nearly seven decades after the end of World War II, the Bank of England admitted that he helped the German Nazis sell Czechoslovak gold they had stolen. This is evidenced by the first published chronicle of the British central bank, dating back to the middle of the 1950-s, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Roman Podervyansky.
After the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, the British regulator implemented the "yellow metal" on behalf of Reichsbank. More than 2 thousand bars (at 5,6 million pounds sterling) were confiscated by the Nazis from the Czechoslovak central bank - through a census of accounts. Physically, most of them were in London. The operations were carried out under the pressure of the Basel Bank for International Settlements. The measures of the Bank of England were taken contrary to the policy line of the British government.
According to the Financial Times, at current prices the cost of Czechoslovak gold would be 736 million pounds.
The Bank of England's published records show that in May-June 1939, this gold on behalf of Reichsbank was sold and shipped to the United States. It was noted that the governor of the British central bank could not block operations: then "peace agreements" would have been violated. But after the start of World War II, the government demanded that the Bank of England not act on the instructions of the BIS, "if it is clear that this will most likely benefit the enemy."
British intelligence officers surprised the Chinese company "Lenovo". MI-6 and MI-5 "refuse to use Lenovo computers - for fear that the Chinese make them vulnerable to hacking," writes Kaal Milmo ("Independent"; source abbr. translation - "Inopressa").
British intelligence services, including MI-6 and MI-5, have banned the use of computers manufactured by the Chinese company Lenovo. Testing conducted by MI-5 and the UK Government Communications Center, found in the electronic circuit of these computers modifications that open access to devices without the knowledge of their owners.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the discovery led to a written warning circulated among the alliance of British, American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand special services Five Eyes, including the NSA.
The largest manufacturer of personal computers in the world, Lenovo, by the way, supported by the Chinese government, expressed "surprise" with such a step and rejected the allegations of any problems with the machines.
It is noted that earlier the Chinese company Huawei Technologies fell victim to similar suspicions. She was suspended from the right to claim contracts in Australia for 24 billion pounds.
Bell dedicated to Hitler. Residents of the Austrian settlement of Wolfpassing did not pay attention to the bell, which beat the clock on the bell tower of the local castle. And now historians have discovered a dedication to Adolf Hitler on the bell, reports the channel "RT" with reference to the Associated Press.
The Nazi-covered bell was fortified in the Wolfpassing castle in 1938, when Hitler annexed Austria to the Third Reich. The inscription glorifies the Austrian Hitler. The authors of the inscription call it the "unifier of Germany", which will free the "Eastern Mark" (the medieval name of Austria) from the dominance of "alien elements."
In Finland, human rights have ended and the state law has begun. A group of European women sent an open letter to Pavel Astakhov with a request to file a class action lawsuit against Finland because of systemic violations of the rights of children, parents and families, reports "RT".
“We, many Finnish parents, are deeply concerned about the situation of children living in Finland and about the violation of human rights in Finland. We demand the establishment of legality in the protection of children, ”the Interfax letter quotes.
Among the authors of the letter are residents of various cities in the country: Turku, Millykoski, Hyvinkää. They claim that, at the request of social workers, children can be taken away from school or kindergarten by the police and, having no facts, but based only on the assumptions of social workers, children can be handed over to custody.
The letter says: “In most cases, the decision is made to remove the child from the family. Only in 7% of all cases a decision is made to stop the transfer of the child to the care of the guardianship. ”
The authors asked Russia to raise this question, because in Finland itself they are silent about this practice.
Against medical "tourism." State Duma deputies decided to change the order of entry of foreigners in Russia and oblige them to buy a medical insurance policy, reports "RT". According to the newspaper "Izvestia", the legislators are not satisfied that hundreds of millions of budget rubles are spent on providing medical assistance to foreigners.
The author of the initiative is United Russia deputy Alexei Zhuravlev. He explained that this measure is intended to stop illegal “medical tourism” when citizens of the CIS come to Russia for free medical care. First of all, women in labor and people with complex diseases "sin".
By law, foreigners arriving in the country without a visa are not required to present medical insurance. If necessary, medical care is free.
At the suggestion of Zhuravlev, the amendments should not apply to emergency assistance (in case of terrorist attacks, accidents, etc.). But emergency care, which includes including childbirth, visitors must pay for themselves.
The deputy says: “The Russians, going abroad, buy insurance, it is logical. In the absence of it, most civilized countries provide medical assistance, but then they invoice, which is tens of thousands of euros. We believe that this practice should be introduced in our country. ”
According to the deputy, a foreigner who received medical care and who does not have money to pay for it, is subject to immediate deportation.
Other parliamentarians agree with Zhuravlev. According to the head of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Sergei Kalashnikov, "Russia has actually become a maternity hospital for the CIS countries." “If an employer hires guest workers, he must resolve the issue of health insurance, paying the necessary amount one time a year,” he says.
In Moldova, began to fine for the Russian language. For the first time, Moldovan law enforcement authorities issued a fine for using banners with inscriptions in Russian. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to RIA "News".
The penalty for using the Russian language was issued by the authorities of the city of Balti. The defendant is the League of the Russian Youth of Moldova, 17 July, organized a protest timed to the visit to the Republic of the President of Romania.
According to the protocol, the organizers of the demonstration used two “advertising posters” with “informative texts in Russian”, thereby violating the relevant article of the administrative code of Moldova. The leader of the Balts cell of the League of Russian Youth, Viktor Kalashnikov, was fined Lei (a little over a thousand rubles).
A corresponding statement was published on the League’s website, in which the actions of the Moldovan authorities are called “fascist methods” and compared with the struggle against the Russian language during the “Romanian occupation of Moldova”.
Yatsenyuk will protect both Ukraine and Russia. The leader of the Batkivshchyna Arseny Yatsenyuk believes that only the Ukrainian fleet should be based in the Crimea. He stated this to journalists at a briefing on Sunday in Kiev at the monument to Prince Vladimir, reports "Ukrainian Truth" with reference to the agency "Interfax-Ukraine".
The politician noted: “I consider the signing and ratification of the so-called Kharkiv agreements to be one of the key mistakes of the current president. This is unconstitutional, it is anti-state and anti-Ukrainian. On the territory of Sevastopol should be exclusively Ukrainian naval forces. "
Yatsenyuk stressed: "We are able to defend ourselves, and if necessary, we are also able to defend our neighbors, I mean the Russians,".
American millions - on Georgian biological weapons? In Georgia, they can produce biological weapons under the control of the Americans. Similar accusations appeared after it became aware of the creation of a research center in Georgia with US money. Details - from the correspondent "Voices of Russia" Boris Murashkina.
It is not for the first time that the production of biological weapons and artificial viruses has been accused by the Richard Lugar Public Health Research Center. 270 million dollars for the opening of the laboratory allocated by the Americans. But the head of the laboratories Gia Kamkamidze denies all the charges:
“When new labs are opened, they always say that biological weapons are being made there. And this is not only in Georgia. It happens all over the world. Conspiracy theories arise, as if viruses are produced somewhere and then spread them in society. But I can assure you that our equipment is not intended for breeding new strains. ”
However, the spread of bird flu in the 2011 year, and the measles epidemic at the end of 2012, many in Georgia associated with the existence of the laboratory. And then there's Comrade Onishchenko. The chief sanitary doctor of Russia believes that the massive loss of pigs in the Krasnodar Territory is a planned economic sabotage from the Georgian side.
Archil Chkoidze, an independent expert, believes that Georgian officials are hiding the truth:
“My father lives in the village. And I can say with full responsibility: every year hundreds of pigs die in the local population. And the cause of death is precisely this virus, which, as they say in the government, has not been fixed in Georgia for several years. So I think it is necessary to study the origin of this virus. Moreover, it is desirable if we do this in collaboration with Russian specialists. After all, we and they should know where this virus came from. ”
The Lugar Research Center, the correspondent notes, remains in Georgia one of the most closed organizations.
Breivik wanted to get a second degree. Anders Breivik applied for admission to the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Oslo, and Ila prison director supported the prisoner in an effort to get a higher education.
"The prison is always trying to ensure that its prisoners receive an education," the prison head quoted "Vesti" with reference to Interfax. “So they can get a job when they go free.”
Some teachers of the Faculty of Political Science have already announced that they will refuse to train the criminal. University rector Peter Ottersen said he was in solidarity with them. True, he noted that the statement of Breivik will be considered in a general manner.
Earlier, Breivik graduated from the Norwegian School of Management.
The question of the extradition of Chalovsky is postponed. The government of Latvia has postponed consideration of the issue of extradition to the United States of a citizen of the republic Denis Chalovsky, who is accused by the American authorities of creating and distributing a virus that has infected more than a million computers around the world, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Maria Ivanova.
Who opposed the extradition of Chalovsky? It turns out that objections were received from the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, the environment and regional development, education and science, internal affairs, and economics.
The government plans to decide on this issue next week, when the decision of the Constitutional Court of Latvia will be known (representatives of the accused filed a lawsuit there).
In total, three people are involved in the hacker case: Chalovsky, a citizen of the Russian Federation Nikita Kuzmin and a citizen of Romania, Mihai Paunescu. According to the US authorities, with the help of a computer virus, the defendants obtained illegal access to banking information and stole money from individuals and legal entities, as well as government agencies. According to investigators, the damage from their actions amounted to at least 50 million dollars, NASA's 160 computers were among the infected. Kuzmin is under arrest in New York; in relation to Chalovsky and Paunescu, the US authorities are conducting an extradition procedure.
Baltics bowed to Washington. Barack Obama invited all three Baltic presidents to Washington. Dalia Grybauskaite, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Andris Berzins 30 of August should meet with the President of the United States, reports "NewsBalt".
The Lithuanian President said: “The United States understands the challenges facing Lithuania and the rest of the Baltic States, and cooperation with the United States in recent years has become more intense than ever. America is the main partner who supported the extension of the mission of the NATO air police in the Baltic countries for an unlimited time. According to the plans of the Alliance, the largest military exercises will take place in the region this year. ”
At the same time, the head of Lithuania stressed that the United States is an important partner of Lithuania in the field of energy security. Lithuania is interested in the United States to simplify the export of shale gas to NATO countries: this would help to ensure competitive prices for Lithuanian residents.
The threefold call from Washington gave Michael Sheinkman the irony ("Voice of Russia").
“Everything happened in the Oval Office of the White House. And the presidents are on call too. But to just three ...
Barack Obama did not breed diplomacy with the Baltic sovereigns and raised them with a single “bush” to an unprecedented height. To heaven. Otherwise, the ocean can not be overcome. And the very leaders of those very independent states that boast of their own independence and national identity, throw everything at the first call, as in the good old days of telephone law, headlong to Washington. ”
Barack Obama did not breed diplomacy with the Baltic sovereigns and raised them with a single “bush” to an unprecedented height. To heaven. Otherwise, the ocean can not be overcome. And the very leaders of those very independent states that boast of their own independence and national identity, throw everything at the first call, as in the good old days of telephone law, headlong to Washington. ”
Verdict in the Manning case. In the United States announced the verdict in the case of Bradley Manning. The military tribunal found the US Army ordinary innocent to assist the enemy, but refused to justify under other articles, including disobeying a lawful order, transferring secret information to unauthorized persons or other states, reports Interfax with reference to The New York Times.
The decision of the military judge, who justified Manning under the "hard" article, saved the soldier from life imprisonment. The maximum term for the remaining crimes is twenty years in prison.
As the American newspaper notes, recognizing the defendant guilty of helping the enemy would create a dangerous precedent for journalists who actively use “leaks”.
What time period B. Manning will receive for his work will be revealed today: the verdict will be passed in 17: 30 Moscow time.
Lon Snowden will not fly to Moscow. The FBI unsuccessfully tried to arrange a trip to Moscow for Father Edward Snowden to convince his son to return to his homeland. About this 52-year-old Lon Snowden said in an interview with the Washington Post, writes correspondent ITAR-TASS Andrey Surzhansky.
Snowden Sr. reported that the American intelligence services appealed to him with a request to go to Moscow. As the Washington Post observes, it is not clear why the negotiations with the FBI did not end with anything and why Lon Snowden did not go to Russia on his own. The father of the ex-CIA officer also said that he did not want to serve in the hands of the special services as an instrument that influenced his son.
Snowden Sr. stated that Edward must remain in Russia. He believes that in the US, his son is waiting for a "terrible treatment." Earlier, Lon claimed that his son could return to the United States to stand trial.
The US Army in bulk purchases cartridges of Soviet standards. As Keith Daniels writes (Infowars.com; source of translation - Mixednews.ru), the US Army intends to acquire about three million sets of Russian ammunition samples of the Soviet era, which are especially popular among the US civilian population. 18 July on the federal site "Business Opportunities" published an appeal by the leadership of the US Army to the suppliers of weapons that they are interested in purchasing the following types of ammunition: 2550000 sets of general-purpose combat cartridges 7,62х39 mm; 575000 of single cartridges 7,62x39 mm; 425000 sets of 9x18 mm live ammunition for a Makarov pistol. Purchased ammunition will be stored in military warehouses in the camps Stanley (Texas) and Blue Grass (Kentucky).
This strange appeal of an organization associated with advanced military technology is puzzling. Is it possible that the weapon will be in the hands of the Syrian militants? After all, pistols from which you can shoot 9x18 mm cartridges are popular among Syrian militants: Syria has received weapons from the Soviet Union for more than 20 years.
US fears overpay for Mi-17. Julian Barnes ("The Wall Street Journal"; source abbr. translation - "Inopressa") cites a statement by a human rights group opposing the purchase of Russian helicopters for Afghanistan.
“The accusations that the Pentagon is overpaying millions for Mi-17 military helicopters can exacerbate disputes between lawmakers opposed to this deal and the generals, who consider it strategically important for the Afghan security forces,” writes Barnes.
According to the organization “Human Rights First”, it received information about prices, which appear in a number of contracts for the supply of Mi-17 helicopters in recent years, from a representative of the defense industry. The production of one helicopter in 2008 required 4,4 million dollars. In 2010, Russia exported them at prices ranging from 12,7 to 13,8 million dollars per unit. During the last purchase, the Pentagon paid more than 18 million, and in future contracts the price is likely to increase to 19 million dollars.
Komi instead of Muller. US senators approved James Komi new director of the FBI. His candidacy was proposed by Obama. Komi will replace Robert Muller, who led the FBI for twelve years, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to RIA "News".
Komi was the Deputy Prosecutor General in the Administration of President George W. Bush, Senior Vice President of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Chief Consultant for the Bridgewater Associates Investment Company. Now Komi 52 is a senior researcher at Columbia University. He also participates in the Board of Directors of the international bank HSBC.
Five days without food and water. The American student Daniel Chong, who was detained in California on suspicion of drug possession and nearly died because of the negligence of the investigators, will receive compensation in the amount of 4,1 million dollars, they report "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
The investigation found that after a brief interrogation of the young man was placed in an insulator. For five days the student remained in the cell without food and water until the staff of the Office for Combating Drugs found his body. The young man was taken to the hospital, where he spent a week between life and death.
After being discharged, the student sued. Yesterday, the San Diego court ordered the authorities to pay compensation to the victim for physical and moral damage.
For houses in Detroit do not give a dollar. As transmits correspondent ITAR-TASS Alexander BekrenevaSome apartment buildings in Detroit are priced at one dollar.
“So, a rather large 1915 house of the year, built not far from the city center, was put up for sale in May 2011, at a price of 900 dollars. The building did not arouse any interest among the buyers, and in February last year, it was decided to reduce its cost to 1 dollars. However, this did not help either - the building has not yet been sold. ”
Such houses are enough throughout the city. Most of them are for sale by banks. They seized property from the owners for debts, and now they are trying to get rid of them in order not to pay taxes. Property tax in Detroit is one of the highest in the United States.
Tips journalist Mr. Obama. The bout between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin has been going on for five years now, and for now Putin has won in all rounds, analyst Kathleen Macfarland notes (Fox News; publication source "InoTV"). The journalist offers Obama to try to beat Putin in his own field.
Putin’s biographer, Fiona Hill, says that the Russian president likes to crawl into people and then play on the weaknesses he discovered. It is time for Obama to show something to Mr. Putin: “To hit Putin where it’s hardest, is because of his ego”.
How to spoil the image of Putin?
1. It is necessary to complicate the holding of the September G20 summit in St. Petersburg. At a minimum, a personal meeting of the leaders in Moscow should be canceled on the eve of the summit, an American analyst advises.
2. One of the top US universities could offer a post in his state to Alexei Navalny - after he has been in a Russian prison.
3. It is possible to give more weight to the reports of analytical reports that hard times have come for the Russian energy industry. At the same time it would be nice to organize “leaks”, according to which the American special services analyze the consequences of the collapse of the Russian economy. What kind of collapse? And the one that will come if Moscow fails to get investment and technology from abroad for the development of new oil fields. Russia did not manage to create an export-oriented economy outside the energy sector, because “who needs Russian cars, computers or clothes?”
4. The State Department and the Pentagon may again return to the issue of missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic. And Obama could stop on the way to the G20 summit to meet with the President of Poland, and with him grab a couple of energy experts and discuss how America can help Poland with the development of gas fields.
5. It can be hinted that the United States is concerned about the security of the future Olympics in Sochi - because of Chechnya. Kathleen McFarland adds: "However, contrary to those senators who offer to boycott her, let us better win all the medals that come to hand."
This whole strategy fits under the Old Testament commandment: an eye for an eye. In following this commandment in the geopolitical field, the journalist believes, the Americans must outrun the Russians.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
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