Geopolitical mosaic: opposition actors in Syria broadcast a continuation of the chemical series on the air, while Estonians praised Yeltsin
New series, or Shock for America. - NKORS moves from Egypt to Turkey. - Uranus in the shoes. - Suspicious work. - Israeli air force hit Lebanon. - Mubarak left prison. - EU vs Egypt. - Iceland does not want to join the EU. - Berlin protests forced refugees to leave. - The case of Breivik lives. - Female army. - Disqualification for LGBT support. - British dump. “The Guardian's hard drives ordered Cameron to be destroyed.” - Yeltsin is the liberator of Estonia. - Moscow explains. - Japan demands, Russia refutes. - DPRK: fake rockets, fake airplanes. “BOSS will look after US citizens.” “Manning is asking for pardon.” - Bradley is no more, and there is Chelsea. - In the US, protesting against shale oil and gas. - Cowardly killer. - "However, all this is nonsense." - In the USA, a veteran of World War II was beaten to death.
New series, or Shock for America. The United States is shocked by reports of mass deaths resulting from the alleged use on Wednesday of chemical weapons in the vicinity of Damascus. This was stated to reporters by the White House deputy spokesman Joshua Ernest, who accompanied Barack Obama on a working trip to New York, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Kirsanov.
A spokesman for the American president said: "The United States is horrified by reports of the massive death of civilians in Syria." He called the "nightmarish" photos and videos taken at the scene.
It is necessary to investigate reports on the use of chemical weapons on the outskirts of the Syrian capital as quickly as possible. This is stated in the communique of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, received at the ITAR-TASS office.
As transmits correspondent ITAR-TASS Ilya DmitryachevAccording to the UN’s main human rights activist, all reports of the Syrian opposition that hundreds of people died as a result of shelling of the Damascus suburb with poisonous shells should be investigated “with the utmost urgency.” She clarified that these reports are "extremely serious and should be comprehensively proved or disproved as soon as possible."
Despite the fact whether chemical weapons were used or not, the reality is, according to Pillay, that “it appears that many civilians were killed in Syria, which grossly violates the provisions of international law”.
As Andrey Fedyashin tells ("Voice of Russia"), a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus - a planned provocation. Russia stated that, according to its information, the opposition’s gunmen, not Assad's troops, used the 21 August chemical weapons. An aggressive campaign in regional and Western media confirms that this is a “pre-planned provocation”. This is stated in a special statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“The clarification of the credibility of the reporting of regional TV stations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “showed the following. Early in the morning 21 of August in this area from the positions held by the militants, a self-made rocket was launched similar to that used by the 19 terrorists in March of this year in Khan Al-Asal (near Aleppo), with an unidentified chemical poison. ”
Russian experts believe that the use of sarin by non-state actors is quite possible.
Some Western experts doubt that we are talking about sarin. And, moreover, they urge people to be careful with frames on the Internet.
“They can see that first-aid workers are not wearing protective clothing,” said Jean-Pascal Zanders, an expert on chemical weapons from the EU Security Studies Institute, in his blog.
“It can't be like that with sarin. Without protective clothing, there would be a lot of secondary poisoning, ”he wrote.
But the action in the suburbs of Damascus was carried out just when the UN commission began investigating the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this “looks like attempts to undermine the chances of convening the Geneva Conference.”
“Oppositions have nothing to lose. She cannot win, and by any means she tries to force the West to intervene in the conflict, to convince the West that the regime is “bloody and inhuman,” said Sergey Demidenko, an expert at the Institute for Strategic Evaluation and Analysis.
According to Vladislav Vorobiev ("Russian newspaper"), the Syrian rebels overdid it by making short film shots in conditions close to the battle ones. They did not bother to find out what symptoms of chemical poisoning the actors from the local public should imitate.
A Stephen Johnson, a researcher at the British Cranfield Institute of Forensic Medicine, said: “In some videos, what’s happening seems too realistic, as if the director had set the scene. This does not mean that we face fraud, but it is doubtful. So, some victims have foam on their lips. It seems to me too white, too clean. This does not correspond to the symptoms of damage to internal organs, which was to be expected. In this case, the foam should be mixed with blood or bile. At this stage, everyone wants to hear an unequivocal answer: did the use of chemical weapons take place or not. But on the basis of the video data it is still premature to draw any conclusions. ”
In the place of Barack Obama, many would be angry at the rebels, Vladislav Vorobiev sneers. How can we conduct a balanced policy regarding Syria, if self-taught directors stick poles into the wheels?
The chemical topic is devoted to the review of Western newspapers from "Foreign Press".
21 August dozens of clips appeared in the network, which allegedly show victims of a chemical attack in Syria. Stefan Mogl, head of the chemical department of the Swiss Spiez Laboratory, analyzed the symptoms at the request of the German edition of Der Spiegel.
According to him, miosis, or constriction of the pupil, "is considered one of the first symptoms of a nerve gas lesion." The signs of such poisoning also include increased tearing, salivation and runny nose. In the video, many are affected by convulsions and tremors. If miosis can be artificially induced with eye drops, then tremors are simulated “very difficult,” said Mogl.
Reports of the use of chemical weapons threaten to destroy Obama’s hopes of pushing the Syrian opposition into diplomatic negotiations with Assad, The Daily Beast writes.
"The opposition refuses to enter into negotiations, except on the condition that Assad will not enter the interim government of Syria," the newspaper reminds.
“Unofficially [US officials] say:“ You will sit down at the negotiating table and say that you are demanding Assad’s resignation, they will not agree, and then the negotiations will fail, and we will step on the stage, ”said Khalid Saleh, a representative of the Syrian national coalition.
According to Saleh, the death toll in Guta has exceeded 1,3 thousand people, the number of victims ranges from 3 to 5 thousand. For the opposition, this attack became an obvious sign that the Assad regime neglects Obama's red line, the article notes.
“We thought that the first use of chemical weapons would cause a reaction from the United States, but, unfortunately, we did not see it. This gave the regime a signal that the international community would not respond to the use of chemical weapons, ”Saleh said.
At a press conference at the White House, press secretary Josh Ernest said: the United States expects the Assad regime to send experts to the scene. True, Ernest refused to explain what actions the United States would take if it was established that behind the last attack there was a “regime”.
An attempt by the administration of Barack Obama to strengthen the powers of UN inspectors in Syria failed, having encountered resistance from Russia and China at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Policy blog reported. The United States wanted UN inspectors in Syria to verify insurgent claims that the government used chemical weapons against civilians.
After "negotiations behind closed doors with Russia and China," the Security Council issued a "softer statement, which does not mention yesterday's intended use of chemical weapons," writes the article's article, Colum Lynch. The statement hardly strengthens the powers of the UN inspectors. UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson merely stated that an urgent investigation was needed.
The United States should study the allegations of a chemical attack in Syria, writes The Washington Post. The Obama administration should reconsider its reaction to violations of the red line.
Speaking of previous accusations of using chemical weapons in Syria, the publication writes about "evidence already collected by the closest allies" of the United States, to which Obama responded only with "symbolic gestures of support for the rebels, while excluding steps that could affect the balance of forces in the war and protect civilians".
"Assad could come to the logical conclusion that he had little reason to fear the United States, even if he used chemical weapons," the newspaper notes.
Russia is not so wrong, claiming that the use of chemical weapons in the vicinity of Damascus may have been a provocation by the rebels, writes Bloomberg. The publication believes that the time of the attack was chosen strange: UN investigators just arrived in the city to investigate past similar incidents, notes "InoTV".
Russia and China blocked the text of the message, which would allow the Security Council to conduct an investigation and oblige Assad to "provide safe, full and free access" to the objects.
However, if Russia believes that it was a provocation, why is it not going to contribute to the investigation?
According to the publication, the Kremlin does not want to support any measures proposed by the United States in Syria, since it has every reason to believe that events will evolve according to the Libyan scenario. Also, Moscow does not want Asad to lose and is therefore ready to overlook the use of WMD.
NKRS moves from Egypt to Turkey. The national coalition is moving headquarters to Turkey: a new government that overthrew Mursi has restricted the opposition. This was reported to the newspaper "Hürriyet Daily News" opposition spokesman Khaled Hoya, reports Mixednews.ru.
“Many opposition members are leaving Egypt. Former Coalition leader Moaz al-Khatib plans to settle in Turkey. ” The publication reminds that in March, al-Khatib voluntarily resigned as head of the Coalition, protesting against the “inaction” of the world community in response to violence in Syria.
Hoya says that the coup in Egypt had a negative impact on the opposition movement. The new government rejected opposition initiatives approved during the Mursi. Mursi’s decision to end diplomatic relations with the Assad regime was canceled.
Uranus in the shoes. US law enforcement authorities arrested a Sierra Leone citizen accused of trying to sell 1 thousands of tons of uranium concentrate, which he intended to send to Iran, reports RIA News" with reference to Reuters.
33-year-old Patrick Campbell was arrested on August 21 at New York's Kennedy Airport after samples of uranium raw materials hidden in his shoes were found in his luggage.
Last May, Campbell responded to a message on Alibaba.com: an American broker, allegedly representing the interests of certain persons in Iran, expressed willingness to acquire a large shipment of uranium. An ad posted, of course, an agent of the American special services.
A citizen of an African country agreed to come to the United States so that the buyer could check the quality of the goods. Where a resident of Sierra Leone intended to get a thousand tons of uranium concentrate is not reported.
Now Campbell faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of one million dollars.
Suspicious work. In Iran, changes were recorded in the military center in Parchin, where, according to the experts of the IAEA, attempts are being made to develop nuclear weapons. This conclusion was made by the Institute of Science and International Security in the analysis of images taken by the satellite of the company “Digital Globe”. Photos not published on the website of the Institute, have already been in the possession of the Associated Press, reports "Lenta.ru".
The pictures were taken on 13 August. Large-scale asphalting works are underway on the territory of the military base in Parchin. The scientific institute believes that this may mean new construction.
Israeli Air Force hit on Lebanon. The Israeli air force struck a target near Beirut this morning in response to a rocket attack on Israeli territory from Lebanon, reports Ha'aretz, citing a representative of the IDF.
As the RIA News", the raid was carried out successfully. Participated in the aircraft returned to base. On what exactly the object was hit, not reported. The representative of the IDF said that Israel believes the Lebanese authorities are responsible for hostile activity on the territory of their country.
Mubarak left prison. As transmits correspondent RIA "Novosti" Raphael Daminov, the ex-president of Egypt yesterday was released from prison and taken to a military hospital in Cairo. There, he will remain under house arrest, awaiting a retrial in the case of the killing of demonstrators in January 2011.
The Muslim Brotherhood and representatives of liberal movements do not agree with the decision of the court and are going to organize protests.
Movement "Tamarrud", which played a major role in the overthrow of Mursi, promised to hold a "people's" court over Mubarak. The Islamists did not stay aside. “The military regime has revealed its ugly face to everyone,” Mohammed Baltaghi, one of the most wanted leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, commented on the news of the withdrawal of the charges against Mubarak.
EU v Egypt. The European Union will suspend deliveries of weapons and other defense products to Egypt, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to France-Presse. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, made a statement on this after the emergency talks between the foreign ministers of the bloc member states.
The purpose of the sanctions is to exclude the supply to Egypt of weapons or any equipment that can be used for repression inside the country.
The head of European diplomacy called on the parties to the civil conflict in Egypt to renounce violent actions and join forces for a political resolution of the crisis.
Iceland does not want to join the EU. The authorities of Iceland may refuse to apply for membership in the European Union, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to the RIA "News».
The government has a center-right coalition consisting of euro-skeptics. The country is considering withdrawing the application for EU membership, filed in the 2010 year.
Berlin protests forced refugees to leave. In Berlin, refugees began to leave the temporary shelter due to protests of local residents, writes "Lenta.ru" with reference to "Focus".
Some migrants have already left the shelter, located in the building of a former school in the Hellersdorf district in East Berlin. They were afraid of aggression from the local population.
The first refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and the Balkan countries settled in the 19 shelter in August. Right-wing activists, primarily from the Pro Deutschland movement, launched protest actions, reports Nachrichten-tv. At each action no more than a few dozen people gathered. Anti-fascists and human rights activists also organized demonstrations in support of the refugees, and several hundred people came to them. As “Spiegel” notes, there were clashes between the police and the demonstrators.
According to German politicians, it is necessary to combat domestic racism among Germans.
According to the leader of the Berlin branch of the Greens, Daniel Wesener, the source of this attitude towards immigrants is rooted in the authorities' policy: refugees are forbidden to work, to move freely in the country, their children cannot go to the same preschool or educational institutions as Germans. As a result, the local population has the impression that the refugees came to their country to live on social benefits.
Human rights organizations also condemn the authorities for the fact that they do not finance language courses and integration courses for refugees, but act according to the principle “the worse the conditions for refugees, the faster they will leave.”
The case of Breivik lives. The Swedish police are on high alert: a letter came to the editorial office of the local newspaper threatening to blow up the royal family’s residence on Friday night, the newspaper “Local” writes. As notes RIA News"The letter was signed by supporters of the Norwegian Anders Breivik.
A message composed in English with grammatical and spelling errors was sent to the editorial office of the newspaper Nya-Wermlands Tidningen. The letter signed the "Group of sympathy for Anders Bering Breivik in Northern Europe."
The signatories said they killed the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. And they added:
The residence in Karlstad, where King Charles XVI Gustav and his wife Sylvia were supposed to arrive, is now cordoned off by law enforcement officers. The search dogs and explosives units are involved in bomb detection.
Female army. Due to the lack of men, the Swedish army is equipped with “Amazons”, writes newsbalt.ru with reference to "The Local".
In 2011, Sweden abandoned compulsory military service, moving to an army that was being formed on a voluntary basis. At that time, 14% of military personnel were women. But now there are already 20%. For comparison, when military service was mandatory for men, women who served on a voluntary basis made up the entire 5% of the personnel.
Twenty-year-old Matilda Spaton-Goppers, sent for basic training to the east of Sweden, explains her desire to serve in the army with curiosity: “I want to discover and understand whether Sweden needs an army. Men dominate there. As a woman and a feminist, this should be very interesting to me. ”
The number of recruits who completed basic training in 2011 was 20529 people, 2822 of which were women. This year, an application for wanting to take this course has already been submitted by an 33146 man, including a 6551 woman.
Disqualification for LGBT support. The Swedish Olympic Committee has banned its athletes from taking actions supporting the LGBT community during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to "The Local". Otherwise, they face disqualification.
This decision was the answer to the action of some of the players of the national team of Sweden at the World Championships in Athletics in Moscow: they painted their nails in the colors of the rainbow flag.
British dump. It turns out that a homosexual family is outdated. According to IA "REGNUM", Western media continue to teach Mother Russia "tolerance." Thanks to the publication on the BBC, one can learn that gay marriage is not the limit in the development of a “modern” family in liberal societies.
Today we are already talking about overcoming the tight framework of a monogamous family at the same time in two directions: homosexual and heterosexual in group sex, which is now called the "polyamorous family."
In a town in Sheffield, UK, two men and two women cohabit under one roof: Tom and Chris, Charlie and Sarah. This "modern" family makes up five marital couples at once. Every man in this union is in "love affair" with each of the women, and the two women are also sleeping with each other. Oddly enough, but Tom and Chris are not homosexual.
The British Four proves with their experience, notes the REGNUM news agency, that the “dream of Vera Pavlovna”, the dreams of nineteenth-century Russian nihilists and the passion of Alexandra Kollontay are quite achievable under liberalism.
By the way, it is noted that the "family" allows for love affairs on the side. Here democracy triumphs: the sanction of love intercourse on the side of a member of the cohabitation is given by all its participants. There can be no "betrayal", because any member of the "family" has the right to "veto" (the latter should have a weighty rationale).
What if a member of a polyamorous family gets emotional affection on the side? Probably, the participants could increase the number of cohabitants. “It's all not so easy, as if I have so much love, and I have to give it all to one person. I can love as many people as I can fit in my heart, and it turns out there are quite a lot of them, ”says Sarah.
The polyamorous family even has a consultant psychologist - Esther Perel. She considers polyamor "the next frontier" of marriage.
Supporters of polyamor families claim that such a marriage union gives participants a stronger sense of confidence. "I look at the world and solve everyday problems based on the feeling of security that I have thanks to my three partners," says Charlie.
“The problem only comes when I feel that one of my partners spends more time with other partners than with me,” adds Sarah. “It hurts that.”
This problem is solved with the help of the general “Google” calendar. “We use it mainly to keep track of who is sleeping with whom,” explains Charlie. “A couple who is going to be together this night gets the priority right to choose what to watch on TV, and because of this we remember who was in which bedroom”.
"We are going to live together until old age," Charlie said in an interview with the BBC.
Hard drives "Guardian" ordered to destroy Cameron. The British Prime Minister personally ordered the destruction of hard drives with Snowden's information, which he handed over to The Guardian. Reports about it "RG" with reference to Interfax.
BBC claims that Cameron ordered Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood to contact the Guardian editors and take steps to destroy the disks. This information was confirmed by the representative of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
“The Deputy Prime Minister considered it appropriate that the Cabinet Secretary demanded that the Guardian destroy information that could pose a serious threat to national security if it falls into the wrong hands,” the Guardian quotes the representative’s words.
To this we must add something.
Here link on Josh Holliday's article in the Guardian online release on August 20.
Here are the words of the chief editor of the Guardian, Comrade Rasbridger, that the destruction of data on hard drives was, in general, a “meaningless task”: after all, the newspaper stores digital copies of materials outside the UK.
“There is a rather ridiculous situation. I explained to them that there are other copies and, like WikiLeaks, we do not work exclusively in London. Thus, the destruction of copies in London seemed to me a task, slightly devoid of meaning. It seems that those who put it in front of the performers do not understand the very principle of the existence of digital information in our days, ”Rasbridger ironically.
The editor-in-chief of The Guardian added to this that the revelations of Snowden showed that the United States and Great Britain had taken the path leading to total observation, in comparison with which everything that people could imagine until now pales. From now on, “effective” obstacles have been created, he noted, in order to put an end to the work of journalists and public discussion.
Yeltsin is the liberator of Estonia. Yesterday a bas-relief of Boris Yeltsin was opened in Tallinn. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to ERR.
At the opening ceremony came hundreds of people. Representatives of the Estonian leadership were also present: Parliament Speaker Ene Ergma, Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo, Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar. The former president of the republic Arnold Ruutel also visited the bas-relief.
Speaking at the opening, Ene Ergma called Yeltsin "one of the most prominent public figures and politicians of the last decade of the last century."
She noted his role in restoring Estonian independence: “His rational actions led to the failure of the putsch [August 1991 of the year] and the subsequent recognition of the independence of the Baltic states”.
According to Interfax, the widow of Russia's first president, Naina Yeltsin, arrived at the ceremony.
The bas-relief is set at the border of Old Tallinn. He was created by a young Estonian sculptor Rene Reinumäe based on the bust of Yeltsin, who was provided by Ernst Unknown.
For the installation of the bas-relief previously expressed by public figures. The funds were raised through donations.
It is curious that some Estonian politicians, including the President of the Republic Toomas Ilves, opposed the installation of such a monument.
Moscow explains. Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee received from Russia a letter explaining the law banning gay propaganda among minors, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to the Associated Press, in turn, referring to the words of the head of the IOC, Jacques Rogge. The letter was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Government Dmitry Kozak.
According to Mr. Rogge, the Russian authorities assured the IOC of the message that the Russian Federation would not violate the Olympic Charter, according to which all athletes should be given equal right to participate in competitions, regardless of their nationality, gender or sexual orientation. The letter emphasizes that Russian law cannot be considered as a way to discriminate homosexuals.
Nevertheless, the Russian authorities noted that the law applies to everyone without exception. The punishment will be applied to all who decide to disseminate among minors information about the attractiveness of "non-traditional sexual relationships."
Japan claims Russia denies. Tokyo demanded that Moscow deal with the violation of the country's airspace by Russian Air Force planes. Request text entered the Russian Embassy in Tokyo. This was reported by ITAR-TASS in the diplomatic mission of Russia, they write "News".
According to the Ministry of Defense of Japan, on Thursday, four F-2 fighters were raised into the air to intercept two Russian Tu-95.
Bombers allegedly entered Japanese airspace at 12.09 local time northwest of the Okinoshima islands. Planes left the zone in less than two minutes.
As the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported, the aircraft of the Air Force of the Russian Federation did not violate the airspace of Japan when performing scheduled flights on Thursday. He writes about it "Russian newspaper" with reference to RIA "News".
The corresponding message said: “Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out planned flights over neutral waters in the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. According to airborne controls, there were no violations of state borders. Long-range aircraft over neutral waters aviation accompanied by fighters of the Japanese Air Force. "
DPRK: fake rockets, fake aircraft. As Konstantin Kerubov tells ("Voice of Russia"), military experts accused the DPRK army of showing off: after analyzing video from the parade in honor of the 60 anniversary of the end of the Korean war 1950-1953, they found that instead of ballistic missiles, viewers were shown models, and military aircraft turned out to be old repainted civilian transport workers.
This is not all. Experts interviewed by NBC News agreed that the Hwaseong-13 intercontinental ballistic missile, which was also demonstrated at the parade, is a hoax. Markus Schiller, a former employee of the RAND Center for Strategic Studies, said that such a rocket could not even take off into the air. He drew attention to the unevenness of the nose fairing. Such an oversight would lead to a missile deviation from the course. He also noticed the absence of accelerating stages, without which it is impossible to create an intercontinental ballistic missile. Schiller also noted that, judging by the different location of the nozzles on the sides of the rocket, these missile complexes from the parade are not even training models, but hastily made pacifiers.
Other experts in the missile industry, polled by NBC News, came to similar conclusions about forgery in the North Korean missile program.
As a result, the opinion of many military analysts who have previously claimed that the DPRK does not have such means of delivering nuclear warheads that could reach the US coast may prove to be fair.
BOSS will look after US citizens. The United States is developing a new program that will help surveillance cameras recognize people in a crowd by their faces. The working title of the software: Biometric-Optical Tracking System (BOSS).
The US Department of Homeland Security has conducted technology tests, writes "RT" with reference to The NY Times.
This system will allow “quickly and with a high degree of accuracy” to recognize in a crowd of terrorists or criminals who are wanted. With similar programs previously conducted experiments. The Facebook network used similar technology in the US, but for photographs.
Human rights activists fear that the system will be used for internal tracking of US citizens.
Software is developed by Electronic Warfare Associates, which has entered into a federal agreement with the government for 5,2 million. Moreover, additional funding — $ 1 million — was received from the FBI to improve the existing design.
Manning is asking for pardon. Bradley Manning, sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment, compiled a text of a petition for clemency, which will be sent to the US President, reports Associated Press, citing David Coombs, the convicted lawyer.
“I understand that my actions violated the law, I regret if they caused harm to anyone in the United States. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help people. When I decided to reveal secret information, I did it out of love for my country and out of a sense of duty towards other people, ”he quotes. RIA News" text of the application, read by a lawyer.
“If you reject my request, I will serve time, knowing that sometimes in order to live in a free society, you have to pay a high price,” the letter concludes.
Bradley is no more, and there is Chelsea. 22 August Bradley Manning said he wants to become a woman with hormone therapy. He asked to call himself Chelsea. This statement baffled the authorities of the Fort Leavenworth military prison, in which he must serve his time, they say "Vesti".
According to the convict, he is “starting a new stage” in life. “I want everyone to know who I really am. I am Chelsea Manning, I am a woman, ”the prisoner said.
Lawyer David Coombs promised to do everything possible to ensure that the informant’s desire was satisfied.
However, in the military prison on 500 people procedures for sex change are not provided. All prisoners here are considered soldiers, ITAR-TASS notes.
According to the representative of this penitentiary, George Marsek, if Manning dreams of becoming a woman, then he needs to be transferred to a civilian prison.
Previously convicted sent a colleague his photo in a woman's dress and wig.
In the US, protesting against shale oil and gas. Hundreds of American public organizations have demanded that Barack Obama ban the use of the method of hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas production in state territories. Yesterday, they sent the head of administration over 650 thousands of relevant appeals from Americans, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Zlodorev.
The campaign was attended by 276 environmental organizations that called for serious attention to fracking's danger to the environment. “By allowing this method to be used on state lands, the administration takes part in some form of legalized corruption, which erodes our democracy and undermines national interests,” said in an open letter the actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah. According to her, the authorities "sacrifice our lands to the fuel industry and private companies."
The action of ecologists is explained by the fact that the deadline for submitting public appeals regarding the issues of drilling and fracking use, determined by the US government, is now expiring.
However, Obama did not even see this rally: the president went on a working trip around the country.
Cowardly killer. The US Army soldier Robert Bales, who attacked two Afghan villages and shot civilians, apologized for having refused the course of psychological help because of cowardice, shortly before his action, reports "RT".
Senior US Army Sergeant 39-year-old Robert Bales is accused of attacking 2012 in March at night in two villages. Armed with a pistol, rifle and grenade launcher, Bales went into the houses and fired at the sleeping people. As a result of his actions, 16 people were killed, mostly women and children. Before committing a massacre, the sergeant drank with fellow soldiers.
At the court hearings, the American soldier said that before traveling to Afghanistan, he often experienced bouts of rage. He even lost the dirty dishes in the sink. He was going to undergo a course of psychological assistance, but he quit the case, deciding that the treatment was not working. It is this decision that he called "cowardice." “If you have problems and you ask for help, this is not weakness, but strength,” the soldier said.
"However, all this is nonsense." The struggle of ordinary Pentagon employees against abuses in the US Army does not lead to a good result, according to The Washington Post author Dana Milbank. While Obama calls on human rights defenders to correct violations “in a different way than Edward Snowden,” the Pentagon continues to fight with Gina Gray. Pentagon employee opened the fraud at the memorial cemetery in Arlington and was fired, the channel said "RT".
Gina Gray worked at the Pentagon as a public relations specialist and participated in operations in Iraq. As part of the post, she was sent to the Arlington Memorial Cemetery in the suburbs of New York to organize the funeral of the deceased officer.
At the cemetery, she discovered abuse. The bed of the cemetery brook is lined with gravestones belonging to fallen officers. Gina became interested in the actions of the cemetery administration. It turned out that the leaders of the object do not keep a list of names of the dead and cannot even tell which graves are free and which are occupied.
However, the lack of complete documentation did not prevent the cemetery management from getting about $ 5,5 million for "improving the workflow system." The administration nevertheless did not bother to transfer information to electronic media: all data was stored on paper, which led to loss of information.
Gina Gray turned to the leadership of the Pentagon. The result of her appeal was unexpected: the US Department of Defense simply fired a public relations specialist without severance pay.
Dana Milbank notes that the PR specialist tried to fight the system with the methods of the system and ended up left without work. US authorities do not welcome the whistleblowers in the ranks of their law enforcement agencies.
The Washington Post reporter summarizes: “President Obama has signed many memorandums that are aimed at protecting people struggling with the shortcomings of the system within the system. However, all this is nonsense. ”
In the United States, a World War II veteran was beaten to death. In Spokane, Wash., Two teenagers beat 88-year-old World War II veteran Delbert Belton to death. This is reported "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
According to police spokesman Mark Griffiths, two young men beat a veteran in a parking lot outside a billiards club. Belton died before the ambulance arrived. Delay killers have not yet succeeded.
Comrade Belton fought on the Pacific fronts of World War II. He was badly wounded in the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, the veteran worked for more than three decades at an aluminum plant.
In the previous release "Mosaics"We add, it was reported that in Oklahoma, three teenagers shot and killed 22-year-old Australian baseball player Christopher Lane, who was visiting America. One of the detainees later explained that he and his friends "were bored and had nothing to do, so they decided to kill someone."
Now other bored teens have taken on the veterans.
New series, or Shock for America. The United States is shocked by reports of mass deaths resulting from the alleged use on Wednesday of chemical weapons in the vicinity of Damascus. This was stated to reporters by the White House deputy spokesman Joshua Ernest, who accompanied Barack Obama on a working trip to New York, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Kirsanov.
A spokesman for the American president said: "The United States is horrified by reports of the massive death of civilians in Syria." He called the "nightmarish" photos and videos taken at the scene.
It is necessary to investigate reports on the use of chemical weapons on the outskirts of the Syrian capital as quickly as possible. This is stated in the communique of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, received at the ITAR-TASS office.
As transmits correspondent ITAR-TASS Ilya DmitryachevAccording to the UN’s main human rights activist, all reports of the Syrian opposition that hundreds of people died as a result of shelling of the Damascus suburb with poisonous shells should be investigated “with the utmost urgency.” She clarified that these reports are "extremely serious and should be comprehensively proved or disproved as soon as possible."
Despite the fact whether chemical weapons were used or not, the reality is, according to Pillay, that “it appears that many civilians were killed in Syria, which grossly violates the provisions of international law”.
As Andrey Fedyashin tells ("Voice of Russia"), a chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus - a planned provocation. Russia stated that, according to its information, the opposition’s gunmen, not Assad's troops, used the 21 August chemical weapons. An aggressive campaign in regional and Western media confirms that this is a “pre-planned provocation”. This is stated in a special statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“The clarification of the credibility of the reporting of regional TV stations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “showed the following. Early in the morning 21 of August in this area from the positions held by the militants, a self-made rocket was launched similar to that used by the 19 terrorists in March of this year in Khan Al-Asal (near Aleppo), with an unidentified chemical poison. ”
Russian experts believe that the use of sarin by non-state actors is quite possible.
Some Western experts doubt that we are talking about sarin. And, moreover, they urge people to be careful with frames on the Internet.
“They can see that first-aid workers are not wearing protective clothing,” said Jean-Pascal Zanders, an expert on chemical weapons from the EU Security Studies Institute, in his blog.
“It can't be like that with sarin. Without protective clothing, there would be a lot of secondary poisoning, ”he wrote.
But the action in the suburbs of Damascus was carried out just when the UN commission began investigating the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this “looks like attempts to undermine the chances of convening the Geneva Conference.”
“Oppositions have nothing to lose. She cannot win, and by any means she tries to force the West to intervene in the conflict, to convince the West that the regime is “bloody and inhuman,” said Sergey Demidenko, an expert at the Institute for Strategic Evaluation and Analysis.
According to Vladislav Vorobiev ("Russian newspaper"), the Syrian rebels overdid it by making short film shots in conditions close to the battle ones. They did not bother to find out what symptoms of chemical poisoning the actors from the local public should imitate.
A Stephen Johnson, a researcher at the British Cranfield Institute of Forensic Medicine, said: “In some videos, what’s happening seems too realistic, as if the director had set the scene. This does not mean that we face fraud, but it is doubtful. So, some victims have foam on their lips. It seems to me too white, too clean. This does not correspond to the symptoms of damage to internal organs, which was to be expected. In this case, the foam should be mixed with blood or bile. At this stage, everyone wants to hear an unequivocal answer: did the use of chemical weapons take place or not. But on the basis of the video data it is still premature to draw any conclusions. ”
In the place of Barack Obama, many would be angry at the rebels, Vladislav Vorobiev sneers. How can we conduct a balanced policy regarding Syria, if self-taught directors stick poles into the wheels?
The chemical topic is devoted to the review of Western newspapers from "Foreign Press".
21 August dozens of clips appeared in the network, which allegedly show victims of a chemical attack in Syria. Stefan Mogl, head of the chemical department of the Swiss Spiez Laboratory, analyzed the symptoms at the request of the German edition of Der Spiegel.
According to him, miosis, or constriction of the pupil, "is considered one of the first symptoms of a nerve gas lesion." The signs of such poisoning also include increased tearing, salivation and runny nose. In the video, many are affected by convulsions and tremors. If miosis can be artificially induced with eye drops, then tremors are simulated “very difficult,” said Mogl.
Reports of the use of chemical weapons threaten to destroy Obama’s hopes of pushing the Syrian opposition into diplomatic negotiations with Assad, The Daily Beast writes.
"The opposition refuses to enter into negotiations, except on the condition that Assad will not enter the interim government of Syria," the newspaper reminds.
“Unofficially [US officials] say:“ You will sit down at the negotiating table and say that you are demanding Assad’s resignation, they will not agree, and then the negotiations will fail, and we will step on the stage, ”said Khalid Saleh, a representative of the Syrian national coalition.
According to Saleh, the death toll in Guta has exceeded 1,3 thousand people, the number of victims ranges from 3 to 5 thousand. For the opposition, this attack became an obvious sign that the Assad regime neglects Obama's red line, the article notes.
“We thought that the first use of chemical weapons would cause a reaction from the United States, but, unfortunately, we did not see it. This gave the regime a signal that the international community would not respond to the use of chemical weapons, ”Saleh said.
At a press conference at the White House, press secretary Josh Ernest said: the United States expects the Assad regime to send experts to the scene. True, Ernest refused to explain what actions the United States would take if it was established that behind the last attack there was a “regime”.
An attempt by the administration of Barack Obama to strengthen the powers of UN inspectors in Syria failed, having encountered resistance from Russia and China at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Policy blog reported. The United States wanted UN inspectors in Syria to verify insurgent claims that the government used chemical weapons against civilians.
After "negotiations behind closed doors with Russia and China," the Security Council issued a "softer statement, which does not mention yesterday's intended use of chemical weapons," writes the article's article, Colum Lynch. The statement hardly strengthens the powers of the UN inspectors. UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson merely stated that an urgent investigation was needed.
The United States should study the allegations of a chemical attack in Syria, writes The Washington Post. The Obama administration should reconsider its reaction to violations of the red line.
Speaking of previous accusations of using chemical weapons in Syria, the publication writes about "evidence already collected by the closest allies" of the United States, to which Obama responded only with "symbolic gestures of support for the rebels, while excluding steps that could affect the balance of forces in the war and protect civilians".
"Assad could come to the logical conclusion that he had little reason to fear the United States, even if he used chemical weapons," the newspaper notes.
Russia is not so wrong, claiming that the use of chemical weapons in the vicinity of Damascus may have been a provocation by the rebels, writes Bloomberg. The publication believes that the time of the attack was chosen strange: UN investigators just arrived in the city to investigate past similar incidents, notes "InoTV".
Russia and China blocked the text of the message, which would allow the Security Council to conduct an investigation and oblige Assad to "provide safe, full and free access" to the objects.
However, if Russia believes that it was a provocation, why is it not going to contribute to the investigation?
According to the publication, the Kremlin does not want to support any measures proposed by the United States in Syria, since it has every reason to believe that events will evolve according to the Libyan scenario. Also, Moscow does not want Asad to lose and is therefore ready to overlook the use of WMD.
NKRS moves from Egypt to Turkey. The national coalition is moving headquarters to Turkey: a new government that overthrew Mursi has restricted the opposition. This was reported to the newspaper "Hürriyet Daily News" opposition spokesman Khaled Hoya, reports Mixednews.ru.
“Many opposition members are leaving Egypt. Former Coalition leader Moaz al-Khatib plans to settle in Turkey. ” The publication reminds that in March, al-Khatib voluntarily resigned as head of the Coalition, protesting against the “inaction” of the world community in response to violence in Syria.
Hoya says that the coup in Egypt had a negative impact on the opposition movement. The new government rejected opposition initiatives approved during the Mursi. Mursi’s decision to end diplomatic relations with the Assad regime was canceled.
Uranus in the shoes. US law enforcement authorities arrested a Sierra Leone citizen accused of trying to sell 1 thousands of tons of uranium concentrate, which he intended to send to Iran, reports RIA News" with reference to Reuters.
33-year-old Patrick Campbell was arrested on August 21 at New York's Kennedy Airport after samples of uranium raw materials hidden in his shoes were found in his luggage.
Last May, Campbell responded to a message on Alibaba.com: an American broker, allegedly representing the interests of certain persons in Iran, expressed willingness to acquire a large shipment of uranium. An ad posted, of course, an agent of the American special services.
A citizen of an African country agreed to come to the United States so that the buyer could check the quality of the goods. Where a resident of Sierra Leone intended to get a thousand tons of uranium concentrate is not reported.
Now Campbell faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of one million dollars.
Suspicious work. In Iran, changes were recorded in the military center in Parchin, where, according to the experts of the IAEA, attempts are being made to develop nuclear weapons. This conclusion was made by the Institute of Science and International Security in the analysis of images taken by the satellite of the company “Digital Globe”. Photos not published on the website of the Institute, have already been in the possession of the Associated Press, reports "Lenta.ru".
The pictures were taken on 13 August. Large-scale asphalting works are underway on the territory of the military base in Parchin. The scientific institute believes that this may mean new construction.
Israeli Air Force hit on Lebanon. The Israeli air force struck a target near Beirut this morning in response to a rocket attack on Israeli territory from Lebanon, reports Ha'aretz, citing a representative of the IDF.
As the RIA News", the raid was carried out successfully. Participated in the aircraft returned to base. On what exactly the object was hit, not reported. The representative of the IDF said that Israel believes the Lebanese authorities are responsible for hostile activity on the territory of their country.
Mubarak left prison. As transmits correspondent RIA "Novosti" Raphael Daminov, the ex-president of Egypt yesterday was released from prison and taken to a military hospital in Cairo. There, he will remain under house arrest, awaiting a retrial in the case of the killing of demonstrators in January 2011.
The Muslim Brotherhood and representatives of liberal movements do not agree with the decision of the court and are going to organize protests.
Movement "Tamarrud", which played a major role in the overthrow of Mursi, promised to hold a "people's" court over Mubarak. The Islamists did not stay aside. “The military regime has revealed its ugly face to everyone,” Mohammed Baltaghi, one of the most wanted leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, commented on the news of the withdrawal of the charges against Mubarak.
EU v Egypt. The European Union will suspend deliveries of weapons and other defense products to Egypt, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to France-Presse. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, made a statement on this after the emergency talks between the foreign ministers of the bloc member states.
The purpose of the sanctions is to exclude the supply to Egypt of weapons or any equipment that can be used for repression inside the country.
The head of European diplomacy called on the parties to the civil conflict in Egypt to renounce violent actions and join forces for a political resolution of the crisis.
Iceland does not want to join the EU. The authorities of Iceland may refuse to apply for membership in the European Union, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to the RIA "News».
The government has a center-right coalition consisting of euro-skeptics. The country is considering withdrawing the application for EU membership, filed in the 2010 year.
Berlin protests forced refugees to leave. In Berlin, refugees began to leave the temporary shelter due to protests of local residents, writes "Lenta.ru" with reference to "Focus".
Some migrants have already left the shelter, located in the building of a former school in the Hellersdorf district in East Berlin. They were afraid of aggression from the local population.
The first refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and the Balkan countries settled in the 19 shelter in August. Right-wing activists, primarily from the Pro Deutschland movement, launched protest actions, reports Nachrichten-tv. At each action no more than a few dozen people gathered. Anti-fascists and human rights activists also organized demonstrations in support of the refugees, and several hundred people came to them. As “Spiegel” notes, there were clashes between the police and the demonstrators.
According to German politicians, it is necessary to combat domestic racism among Germans.
According to the leader of the Berlin branch of the Greens, Daniel Wesener, the source of this attitude towards immigrants is rooted in the authorities' policy: refugees are forbidden to work, to move freely in the country, their children cannot go to the same preschool or educational institutions as Germans. As a result, the local population has the impression that the refugees came to their country to live on social benefits.
Human rights organizations also condemn the authorities for the fact that they do not finance language courses and integration courses for refugees, but act according to the principle “the worse the conditions for refugees, the faster they will leave.”
The case of Breivik lives. The Swedish police are on high alert: a letter came to the editorial office of the local newspaper threatening to blow up the royal family’s residence on Friday night, the newspaper “Local” writes. As notes RIA News"The letter was signed by supporters of the Norwegian Anders Breivik.
A message composed in English with grammatical and spelling errors was sent to the editorial office of the newspaper Nya-Wermlands Tidningen. The letter signed the "Group of sympathy for Anders Bering Breivik in Northern Europe."
"We will blow up a big bomb next to the residence in Karlstad ... we pass on this information, because the Swedish police is ineffective."
The signatories said they killed the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. And they added:
"In the future, our goals will be homosexuals."
The residence in Karlstad, where King Charles XVI Gustav and his wife Sylvia were supposed to arrive, is now cordoned off by law enforcement officers. The search dogs and explosives units are involved in bomb detection.
Female army. Due to the lack of men, the Swedish army is equipped with “Amazons”, writes newsbalt.ru with reference to "The Local".
In 2011, Sweden abandoned compulsory military service, moving to an army that was being formed on a voluntary basis. At that time, 14% of military personnel were women. But now there are already 20%. For comparison, when military service was mandatory for men, women who served on a voluntary basis made up the entire 5% of the personnel.
Twenty-year-old Matilda Spaton-Goppers, sent for basic training to the east of Sweden, explains her desire to serve in the army with curiosity: “I want to discover and understand whether Sweden needs an army. Men dominate there. As a woman and a feminist, this should be very interesting to me. ”
The number of recruits who completed basic training in 2011 was 20529 people, 2822 of which were women. This year, an application for wanting to take this course has already been submitted by an 33146 man, including a 6551 woman.
Disqualification for LGBT support. The Swedish Olympic Committee has banned its athletes from taking actions supporting the LGBT community during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, reports "Russian newspaper" with reference to "The Local". Otherwise, they face disqualification.
This decision was the answer to the action of some of the players of the national team of Sweden at the World Championships in Athletics in Moscow: they painted their nails in the colors of the rainbow flag.
British dump. It turns out that a homosexual family is outdated. According to IA "REGNUM", Western media continue to teach Mother Russia "tolerance." Thanks to the publication on the BBC, one can learn that gay marriage is not the limit in the development of a “modern” family in liberal societies.
Today we are already talking about overcoming the tight framework of a monogamous family at the same time in two directions: homosexual and heterosexual in group sex, which is now called the "polyamorous family."
In a town in Sheffield, UK, two men and two women cohabit under one roof: Tom and Chris, Charlie and Sarah. This "modern" family makes up five marital couples at once. Every man in this union is in "love affair" with each of the women, and the two women are also sleeping with each other. Oddly enough, but Tom and Chris are not homosexual.
The British Four proves with their experience, notes the REGNUM news agency, that the “dream of Vera Pavlovna”, the dreams of nineteenth-century Russian nihilists and the passion of Alexandra Kollontay are quite achievable under liberalism.
By the way, it is noted that the "family" allows for love affairs on the side. Here democracy triumphs: the sanction of love intercourse on the side of a member of the cohabitation is given by all its participants. There can be no "betrayal", because any member of the "family" has the right to "veto" (the latter should have a weighty rationale).
What if a member of a polyamorous family gets emotional affection on the side? Probably, the participants could increase the number of cohabitants. “It's all not so easy, as if I have so much love, and I have to give it all to one person. I can love as many people as I can fit in my heart, and it turns out there are quite a lot of them, ”says Sarah.
The polyamorous family even has a consultant psychologist - Esther Perel. She considers polyamor "the next frontier" of marriage.
Supporters of polyamor families claim that such a marriage union gives participants a stronger sense of confidence. "I look at the world and solve everyday problems based on the feeling of security that I have thanks to my three partners," says Charlie.
“The problem only comes when I feel that one of my partners spends more time with other partners than with me,” adds Sarah. “It hurts that.”
This problem is solved with the help of the general “Google” calendar. “We use it mainly to keep track of who is sleeping with whom,” explains Charlie. “A couple who is going to be together this night gets the priority right to choose what to watch on TV, and because of this we remember who was in which bedroom”.
"We are going to live together until old age," Charlie said in an interview with the BBC.
Hard drives "Guardian" ordered to destroy Cameron. The British Prime Minister personally ordered the destruction of hard drives with Snowden's information, which he handed over to The Guardian. Reports about it "RG" with reference to Interfax.
BBC claims that Cameron ordered Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood to contact the Guardian editors and take steps to destroy the disks. This information was confirmed by the representative of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
“The Deputy Prime Minister considered it appropriate that the Cabinet Secretary demanded that the Guardian destroy information that could pose a serious threat to national security if it falls into the wrong hands,” the Guardian quotes the representative’s words.
To this we must add something.
Here link on Josh Holliday's article in the Guardian online release on August 20.
Here are the words of the chief editor of the Guardian, Comrade Rasbridger, that the destruction of data on hard drives was, in general, a “meaningless task”: after all, the newspaper stores digital copies of materials outside the UK.
“There is a rather ridiculous situation. I explained to them that there are other copies and, like WikiLeaks, we do not work exclusively in London. Thus, the destruction of copies in London seemed to me a task, slightly devoid of meaning. It seems that those who put it in front of the performers do not understand the very principle of the existence of digital information in our days, ”Rasbridger ironically.
The editor-in-chief of The Guardian added to this that the revelations of Snowden showed that the United States and Great Britain had taken the path leading to total observation, in comparison with which everything that people could imagine until now pales. From now on, “effective” obstacles have been created, he noted, in order to put an end to the work of journalists and public discussion.
Yeltsin is the liberator of Estonia. Yesterday a bas-relief of Boris Yeltsin was opened in Tallinn. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to ERR.
At the opening ceremony came hundreds of people. Representatives of the Estonian leadership were also present: Parliament Speaker Ene Ergma, Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo, Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar. The former president of the republic Arnold Ruutel also visited the bas-relief.
Speaking at the opening, Ene Ergma called Yeltsin "one of the most prominent public figures and politicians of the last decade of the last century."
She noted his role in restoring Estonian independence: “His rational actions led to the failure of the putsch [August 1991 of the year] and the subsequent recognition of the independence of the Baltic states”.
According to Interfax, the widow of Russia's first president, Naina Yeltsin, arrived at the ceremony.
The bas-relief is set at the border of Old Tallinn. He was created by a young Estonian sculptor Rene Reinumäe based on the bust of Yeltsin, who was provided by Ernst Unknown.
For the installation of the bas-relief previously expressed by public figures. The funds were raised through donations.
It is curious that some Estonian politicians, including the President of the Republic Toomas Ilves, opposed the installation of such a monument.
Moscow explains. Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee received from Russia a letter explaining the law banning gay propaganda among minors, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to the Associated Press, in turn, referring to the words of the head of the IOC, Jacques Rogge. The letter was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Government Dmitry Kozak.
According to Mr. Rogge, the Russian authorities assured the IOC of the message that the Russian Federation would not violate the Olympic Charter, according to which all athletes should be given equal right to participate in competitions, regardless of their nationality, gender or sexual orientation. The letter emphasizes that Russian law cannot be considered as a way to discriminate homosexuals.
Nevertheless, the Russian authorities noted that the law applies to everyone without exception. The punishment will be applied to all who decide to disseminate among minors information about the attractiveness of "non-traditional sexual relationships."
Japan claims Russia denies. Tokyo demanded that Moscow deal with the violation of the country's airspace by Russian Air Force planes. Request text entered the Russian Embassy in Tokyo. This was reported by ITAR-TASS in the diplomatic mission of Russia, they write "News".
According to the Ministry of Defense of Japan, on Thursday, four F-2 fighters were raised into the air to intercept two Russian Tu-95.
Bombers allegedly entered Japanese airspace at 12.09 local time northwest of the Okinoshima islands. Planes left the zone in less than two minutes.
As the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported, the aircraft of the Air Force of the Russian Federation did not violate the airspace of Japan when performing scheduled flights on Thursday. He writes about it "Russian newspaper" with reference to RIA "News".
The corresponding message said: “Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out planned flights over neutral waters in the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. According to airborne controls, there were no violations of state borders. Long-range aircraft over neutral waters aviation accompanied by fighters of the Japanese Air Force. "
DPRK: fake rockets, fake aircraft. As Konstantin Kerubov tells ("Voice of Russia"), military experts accused the DPRK army of showing off: after analyzing video from the parade in honor of the 60 anniversary of the end of the Korean war 1950-1953, they found that instead of ballistic missiles, viewers were shown models, and military aircraft turned out to be old repainted civilian transport workers.
“In August 2013, many war messengers published photographs of Il-76 in camouflage colors and with insignia of the Air Force of the Korean People’s Army. At that time, experts suggested that the Korean military could get a new IL-76 from somewhere, since all three transport planes of this type at the disposal of the country always had civilian livery of the national operator Air Koryo.
It was in the military color Il-76 that they took part in the military parade in Pyongyang 26 July 2013. As NKnews.org was informed, after a few weeks the aircraft were repainted back, because otherwise it would prevent them from carrying cargo to other countries: military aircraft need to get special permits to cross the airspace of other states.
It was in the military color Il-76 that they took part in the military parade in Pyongyang 26 July 2013. As NKnews.org was informed, after a few weeks the aircraft were repainted back, because otherwise it would prevent them from carrying cargo to other countries: military aircraft need to get special permits to cross the airspace of other states.
This is not all. Experts interviewed by NBC News agreed that the Hwaseong-13 intercontinental ballistic missile, which was also demonstrated at the parade, is a hoax. Markus Schiller, a former employee of the RAND Center for Strategic Studies, said that such a rocket could not even take off into the air. He drew attention to the unevenness of the nose fairing. Such an oversight would lead to a missile deviation from the course. He also noticed the absence of accelerating stages, without which it is impossible to create an intercontinental ballistic missile. Schiller also noted that, judging by the different location of the nozzles on the sides of the rocket, these missile complexes from the parade are not even training models, but hastily made pacifiers.
Other experts in the missile industry, polled by NBC News, came to similar conclusions about forgery in the North Korean missile program.
As a result, the opinion of many military analysts who have previously claimed that the DPRK does not have such means of delivering nuclear warheads that could reach the US coast may prove to be fair.
BOSS will look after US citizens. The United States is developing a new program that will help surveillance cameras recognize people in a crowd by their faces. The working title of the software: Biometric-Optical Tracking System (BOSS).
The US Department of Homeland Security has conducted technology tests, writes "RT" with reference to The NY Times.
This system will allow “quickly and with a high degree of accuracy” to recognize in a crowd of terrorists or criminals who are wanted. With similar programs previously conducted experiments. The Facebook network used similar technology in the US, but for photographs.
Human rights activists fear that the system will be used for internal tracking of US citizens.
Software is developed by Electronic Warfare Associates, which has entered into a federal agreement with the government for 5,2 million. Moreover, additional funding — $ 1 million — was received from the FBI to improve the existing design.
Manning is asking for pardon. Bradley Manning, sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment, compiled a text of a petition for clemency, which will be sent to the US President, reports Associated Press, citing David Coombs, the convicted lawyer.
“I understand that my actions violated the law, I regret if they caused harm to anyone in the United States. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help people. When I decided to reveal secret information, I did it out of love for my country and out of a sense of duty towards other people, ”he quotes. RIA News" text of the application, read by a lawyer.
“If you reject my request, I will serve time, knowing that sometimes in order to live in a free society, you have to pay a high price,” the letter concludes.
Bradley is no more, and there is Chelsea. 22 August Bradley Manning said he wants to become a woman with hormone therapy. He asked to call himself Chelsea. This statement baffled the authorities of the Fort Leavenworth military prison, in which he must serve his time, they say "Vesti".
According to the convict, he is “starting a new stage” in life. “I want everyone to know who I really am. I am Chelsea Manning, I am a woman, ”the prisoner said.
Lawyer David Coombs promised to do everything possible to ensure that the informant’s desire was satisfied.
However, in the military prison on 500 people procedures for sex change are not provided. All prisoners here are considered soldiers, ITAR-TASS notes.
According to the representative of this penitentiary, George Marsek, if Manning dreams of becoming a woman, then he needs to be transferred to a civilian prison.
Previously convicted sent a colleague his photo in a woman's dress and wig.
In the US, protesting against shale oil and gas. Hundreds of American public organizations have demanded that Barack Obama ban the use of the method of hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas production in state territories. Yesterday, they sent the head of administration over 650 thousands of relevant appeals from Americans, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Zlodorev.
The campaign was attended by 276 environmental organizations that called for serious attention to fracking's danger to the environment. “By allowing this method to be used on state lands, the administration takes part in some form of legalized corruption, which erodes our democracy and undermines national interests,” said in an open letter the actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah. According to her, the authorities "sacrifice our lands to the fuel industry and private companies."
The action of ecologists is explained by the fact that the deadline for submitting public appeals regarding the issues of drilling and fracking use, determined by the US government, is now expiring.
However, Obama did not even see this rally: the president went on a working trip around the country.
Cowardly killer. The US Army soldier Robert Bales, who attacked two Afghan villages and shot civilians, apologized for having refused the course of psychological help because of cowardice, shortly before his action, reports "RT".
Senior US Army Sergeant 39-year-old Robert Bales is accused of attacking 2012 in March at night in two villages. Armed with a pistol, rifle and grenade launcher, Bales went into the houses and fired at the sleeping people. As a result of his actions, 16 people were killed, mostly women and children. Before committing a massacre, the sergeant drank with fellow soldiers.
At the court hearings, the American soldier said that before traveling to Afghanistan, he often experienced bouts of rage. He even lost the dirty dishes in the sink. He was going to undergo a course of psychological assistance, but he quit the case, deciding that the treatment was not working. It is this decision that he called "cowardice." “If you have problems and you ask for help, this is not weakness, but strength,” the soldier said.
"However, all this is nonsense." The struggle of ordinary Pentagon employees against abuses in the US Army does not lead to a good result, according to The Washington Post author Dana Milbank. While Obama calls on human rights defenders to correct violations “in a different way than Edward Snowden,” the Pentagon continues to fight with Gina Gray. Pentagon employee opened the fraud at the memorial cemetery in Arlington and was fired, the channel said "RT".
Gina Gray worked at the Pentagon as a public relations specialist and participated in operations in Iraq. As part of the post, she was sent to the Arlington Memorial Cemetery in the suburbs of New York to organize the funeral of the deceased officer.
At the cemetery, she discovered abuse. The bed of the cemetery brook is lined with gravestones belonging to fallen officers. Gina became interested in the actions of the cemetery administration. It turned out that the leaders of the object do not keep a list of names of the dead and cannot even tell which graves are free and which are occupied.
However, the lack of complete documentation did not prevent the cemetery management from getting about $ 5,5 million for "improving the workflow system." The administration nevertheless did not bother to transfer information to electronic media: all data was stored on paper, which led to loss of information.
Gina Gray turned to the leadership of the Pentagon. The result of her appeal was unexpected: the US Department of Defense simply fired a public relations specialist without severance pay.
Dana Milbank notes that the PR specialist tried to fight the system with the methods of the system and ended up left without work. US authorities do not welcome the whistleblowers in the ranks of their law enforcement agencies.
The Washington Post reporter summarizes: “President Obama has signed many memorandums that are aimed at protecting people struggling with the shortcomings of the system within the system. However, all this is nonsense. ”
In the United States, a World War II veteran was beaten to death. In Spokane, Wash., Two teenagers beat 88-year-old World War II veteran Delbert Belton to death. This is reported "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
According to police spokesman Mark Griffiths, two young men beat a veteran in a parking lot outside a billiards club. Belton died before the ambulance arrived. Delay killers have not yet succeeded.
Comrade Belton fought on the Pacific fronts of World War II. He was badly wounded in the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, the veteran worked for more than three decades at an aluminum plant.
In the previous release "Mosaics"We add, it was reported that in Oklahoma, three teenagers shot and killed 22-year-old Australian baseball player Christopher Lane, who was visiting America. One of the detainees later explained that he and his friends "were bored and had nothing to do, so they decided to kill someone."
Now other bored teens have taken on the veterans.
Observed and translated by Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru
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