Geopolitical mosaic: two thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with the government in the country, and Zhirinovsky advised Obama to “get rid of his wife“ faster ”
Heart az-Zavahiri bleeds. - Authenticity will be established. - Hackers hacked CNN accounts. - Letter from Kim Jong-un. - More than five are not going to. - Catch the government! - The sentence was carried out. - Ten thousand people - or no one. - The end of the British military? - “How can France give lessons to the morality of Russia? ..” - What American journalists found in Poland. - In the Karabakh conflict zone. - Opposition and Yanukovych. - To visit Kiev. - In the balance of sanctions. - Accounts, "Lexus" and hectares of main maydanschikov arrested. - Snipers from NATO. - Stop it! - "Putin at the helm." - Platon Lebedev will be released. - About Navalny and one hundred million. - Snowden: spying is not always bad. - Two thirds of Americans are unhappy with the government in the country. - The US Secretary of Defense was thinking about nuclear discipline. - Bearded, with piercing and painted nails. - Get rid of your wife, Mr. Obama!
Heart az-Zavahiri bleeds. The leader of al-Qaeda appealed to the Islamists and oppositionists fighting in Syria and urged them to stop the strife and unite against the Assad regime. About the appearance on the Internet audio az-Zavahiri reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to France-Presse.
“Our hearts are bleeding ... when we see how the Syrian Mujahideen are fighting each other,” the CNN appeal quotes. However, it was not possible to determine the authenticity of the record.
Lenta reminds that more than a thousand people have already fallen victims of the confrontation between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the so-called moderate rebels.
Earlier, az-Zavahiri criticized civil strife in Syria, but mostly it related to ISIS activities. The al-Qaida leader demanded that the group dissolve itself. Al-Qaeda considers its front in al-Nusra its sole representative in Syria. The methods of ISIS were also criticized by Zawahiri, namely, excessive violence.
If az-Zavahiri will continue in the same spirit, the State Department will recognize him as a democrat and a fighter for human rights, we’ll add.
Authenticity will be established. The United States agrees that data on alleged crimes against humanity by the ruling regime in Damascus cannot simply be taken on faith. This was confirmed at a press briefing for journalists by the deputy head of the US State Department press service, Marie Harf, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Kirsanov.
State Department spokesman was asked to comment on the statements of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who in an interview with CNN television said in connection with the appearance of a whole array of photographs, allegedly indicating the use of torture and extrajudicial reprisals by the Syrian authorities that a priori declare President Assad a criminal is unacceptable.
“I repeat once again: all these crimes, and these are exactly crimes, should be recorded, evidence collected on them, and subsequently these actions can be brought against either the authorities or those who oppose the authorities. But this still needs to be proved, ”Medvedev said, noting that this should be done within the framework of the criminal process.
Harf said the United States is "working on authenticating" the photographic evidence of the atrocities in Syria, on which the report is based (the same one that was previously prepared with the assistance of Qatar).
At the same time, she said, displayed in these photos, “fully corresponds to everything else that we have seen from the Assad regime.” "We have seen a huge amount of evidence that he (that is, Assad) committed war crimes ... We have no reason (in this case) to doubt the authenticity of the photos."
How convenient is the diplomatic language, let us add. The United States is "working to establish authenticity"! Therefore, authenticate. The one in which "no reason" to doubt. Recently, American experts proved that Assad could not use 21 chemical weapons in August last year, but the position of the State Department and Obama personally did not change. Assad - a tyrant and a murderer of his own people, and the point. To admit the opposite means to inform the whole world that the highest officials of the USA were mistaken. Self-criticism in the State Department and the White House is not accepted.
Hackers hacked CNN accounts. Hackers from the "Syrian e-army" 23 January hacked the accounts of CNN on Twitter and Facebook, according to "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
One of the messages posted by hackers read: “The Syrian Electronic Army” was here. Stop lying. All your reports are fake. ”
Representatives of CNN claim that these appeals stayed on the channel accounts for several minutes and were removed.
“Vesti” reminds us that on January 11, the same group hacked into a Microsoft account on Twitter. There was a call to boycott the products of this company.
A letter from Kim Jong-un. DPRK authorities today unveiled an open letter to the leadership of South Korea calling for an end to mutual hostility, reports RIA News" with reference to France Press.
“In order to pave the way for improvement of relations between the North and the South, it is important to take a bold decision and stop all hostile military actions - this is the biggest obstacle that distrust and confrontation do not subside,” the agency quoted the State Defense Committee’s message.
The letter was drafted by order of Kim Jong-un.
The statement says that Pyongyang is committed to an atmosphere of reconciliation and unity, which will allow to continue the dialogue and resume multilateral cooperation between the countries.
More than five are not going to. Thai authorities have banned residents of the country to gather in groups of more than five people. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to The Bangkok Post.
The decree is signed by the head of the government of the country Yinglak Chinawat. At the same time, the document forbade journalists to publish ambiguous information and messages that pose a threat to national security.
The document will apply to all provinces in which the state of emergency.
Catch the government! Thai opposition promised reward for the capture of the country's leadership. This statement was made by the "Union of students and the people for the reform of Thailand", writes "Lenta.ru" with links to The Bangkok Post and RIANews».
Activists are willing to pay for the arrest of Prime Minister Yinglak Chinavat and the director of the Center for Peacekeeping (this agency is responsible for imposing a state of emergency in Bangkok) Chalerma Yubamrung. Oppositionists also offered rewards for the arrest of the head of the police, Adul Saensinku.
According to the opposition, these politicians are responsible for the unjustified introduction of emergency in Bangkok. How much they are willing to pay for the representatives of the authorities is not specified.
The sentence was carried out. Indian police arrest 13 people suspected of gang-rape 20-year-old resident of West Bengal, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to Reuters.
According to investigators, the suspects raped a woman the whole night: the village council of elders ordered them to do this, who decided to punish her in this way for relations with a resident of another village who professed a different religion.
France-Presse clarifies that the woman and her lover were tied to the trees in the village square and demanded to pay a fine for 400 dollars. The man agreed to pay the fine, and the woman’s family announced that she had no such money. And the elders decided to replace the fine with group rape.
After punishment, a woman in serious condition was taken to a local hospital.
Ten thousand people - or no one. The Pentagon offered Obama to leave in Afghanistan after the 2014 of the year and to the end of his tenure at the White House 10 of thousands of soldiers. A smaller contingent will not be able to complete the assigned tasks. If this is impossible, then Washington should withdraw its contingent from this country altogether, the columnist for the department of international politics writes "Independent newspaper" Evgenia Novikova.
"It is proposed to leave 10 thousand or no one at all, a complete conclusion," said an informed source in the US administration.
The Wall Street Journal writes that one part of the troops will be engaged in the fight against terrorism, while the other (large) will train and advise the Afghan army and security forces. A smaller number of troops will not be enough to protect diplomats, military instructors and intelligence officers who will remain in Afghanistan after the operation.
The Pentagon plan provides for the completion of the presence of US troops by the end of Obama’s term. The US leader will have the opportunity, leaving the presidency, to declare the end of America’s longest war.
The end of the British military? Patrick Wintour’s article, Multicultural Britain Against Military Operations Abroad, was published in The Guardian (a short translation "Inopressa").
High-ranking officials of the British Ministry of Defense say that in an increasingly multicultural UK there is a growing protest against the participation of the country's armed forces in ground operations abroad.
In addition to the general fatigue from the war, the defense ministry noted a protest against sending British troops to countries from which the citizens of the country or their families had once arrived.
The ministry continues to analyze the unexpected decision of the House of Commons to refuse to participate in the operation against Assad. According to the military leadership, the refusal of parliamentarians is not confined to political battles between Labor and the government, but indicates a long-term tendency deeply rooted in British society.
This does not mean a complete abandonment of military operations, the newspaper’s interlocutors emphasize. But from now on, their development should focus on the actions of the Air Force and Navy, and not on large-scale ground invasions. Operations like intervention in Libya in the future are possible, but the repetition of Afghanistan or Iraq is not.
The government insists that a comprehensive analysis of the "militancy" of the British will not affect plans to reduce the number of Armed Forces.
23 January, Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond will announce the dismissal of another 1400 military. This will be the fourth stage of activities in the framework of reducing the number of armed forces from 102 thousand to 82,5 thousand people.
"How can France give moral lessons to Russia? .." The leader of the National Front of France, Marine Le Pen, at a press conference in Paris, answered questions from Russian journalists. Her answers led Maria Sidelnikova ("Voice of Russia").
“We condemn the aggressive and unjust policy of the French authorities towards Syria and Iran,” said Marine Le Pen. She regretted the absence of the Iranian delegation at the Geneva-2 peace conference.
The leader of the extreme right emphasized that today 80% of Syrian rebels are Islamists and al-Qaida militants.
The main lie of France, in Le Pen’s opinion, is its close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which is the main driving force in the international spread of Islamic fundamentalism. She also touched on Russia in Saudi Arabia: “How can France give moral lessons to Russia, where the law against homosexuality propaganda was adopted, and at the same time approach the country where homosexuals are sentenced to death, where women are completely subordinate to men, and where immigrants do slaves? "
Concerning Ukraine, Marine Le Pen said the following. She believes that Europe should not interfere in the internal problems of the country. Whether it is Ukraine or Central Africa, the scheme is the same: on one side of the scale are the interests of international partners, be it the USA or the EU, on the other the weakness of the nation state in which the crisis occurs. The absence of democratic freedoms and values is only a pretext for outside intervention.
France, Le Pen believes, has become less independent: “... the problem of France’s international politics is that it is not independent. Paris struggles to please Washington by adhering to the US international line. Americans have the right to protect their interests, nobody condemns them for it. In this situation, I am surprised by the position of France, which is ready to sacrifice its interests, but to the last to defend the interests of the United States. Many European countries have already realized that in the long run, abandoning good relations with Russia, especially in the field of commerce and energy, is absurd. We saw these timid advances of European leaders with Moscow. It was in France under Sarkozy, in Italy under Berlusconi. A step forward - two back. They can not get rid of prejudices and think about the benefits for their country. ”
What was discovered by American journalists in Poland. The Washington Post journalists attribute to the CIA the organization of a secret prison in Poland. According to reporters, after the 11 attacks of September 2001, secret services rented a villa near the village of Stare Keikuty. The training center of the Polish Intelligence Agency was located there. For 15 million dollars (so much rent), it became one of the secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe. This is reported "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
The premises of the object were completely rebuilt. The first terror suspects were delivered there on December 5 2002. Poles access to them was strictly forbidden. The secret prison where the prisoners were tortured was run by Mr. Michael Seeley.
The base was closed in September 2003. The prisoners were transferred to similar CIA facilities in Romania and Morocco.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the National Security Bureau of the Republic declined to comment on the information. The “screenplay for a Hollywood film” was an article in the American newspaper Leszek Miller, who served as Polish Prime Minister in 2001-2004.
In the Karabakh conflict zone. The tension on the contact line of the Armenian-Azerbaijani troops in the Karabakh conflict zone reached its peak. This statement was made at a meeting with the media by Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan in Yerevan on January 22 after the funeral of the Armenian army soldier, junior sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan, who died as a result of the incident in the front-line zone, reports IA "REGNUM".
The incident occurred from 19 on January 20 in the northeast (Jraberd) and southeast (Corgan) directions of the contact line, when the diversionary groups of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces carried out penetration attempts. The advanced units of the Karabakh armed forces spotted the actions of the Azerbaijani sabotage groups and moved to defense in both directions. During a firefight in combat positions, junior sergeant of Nagorno-Karabakh Armen Hovhannisyan died from a gunshot wound. “During the penetration of the sabotage and reconnaissance groups, Armen Hovhannisyan and his friends fought heroically and gave an adequate response. The enemy, sustaining heavy casualties - several dead and about 25 injured - was thrown back, ”said Ohanian.
He further noted that the tension on the contact line reached a peak: “For two days, as the tension reached its peak, attacks by the enemy are systematic. Shelling has never been so intense. The response will certainly be taken, we will find a moment for this. ”
What is the reason for the activity of the Azerbaijani side on the front line? The minister explained that this is a provocation, aiming to save tension and introduce distortions in the negotiation process.
Opposition and Yanukovych. Vitali Klitschko and Oleg Tignibok told the audience on the Grushevsky street that they had agreed on negotiations with President Yanukovych: the parties would cease to use force, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs would release the detainees during the riots. This was reported by the TV channel Espresso TV, which is a live broadcast from Grushevskogo street in Kiev, reports RIA News".
“UNIAN” at the same time reports that the protesters perceived the statements of opposition leaders ambiguously: some demanded to continue the confrontation, others called for “listening to the soviets”.
According to Klitschko, according to the agreements, Yanukovych and Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko will stop the use of force and publicly announce the release of all detainees, in turn, the protesters must also refrain from the use of force.
As the "Lenta.ru", in front of the demonstrators gathered in the center of Kiev, made the leader of the association "Svoboda" Oleg Tyagnibok.
According to him, the authorities promised to submit to the Verkhovna Rada the question of repealing the resonant laws adopted by 16 in January. The meeting will take place on January 28. As reported by “Segodnya”, he also said that within three days the courts will review the preventive measure for arrested participants in rallies for house arrest.
To Kiev on a visit. European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle plans to discuss the current political situation in Ukraine with the country's leadership and the opposition. The program of the two-day visit includes meetings with President Viktor Yanukovych and leaders of opposition parties, reports ITAR-TASS.
Ukrainian political analyst, director of the Global Strategy Institute Vadim Karasyov said in an interview with ITAR-TASS that he did not expect “serious results” from the visit of Mr. Fule. The expert drew attention to the fact that "the Ukrainian government is looking for a peaceful way" to resolve the current situation. This is evidenced by her intention to seek a compromise with the opposition in the Verkhovna Rada, which will meet on January 28 for an extraordinary session. “By the arrival of Füle, the Ukrainian authorities had already prepared their proposals on possible ways out of the current situation,” the political scientist stated.
Ukrainian political scientist is convinced that Fule will not bring scenarios out of the political crisis. “He can only ask the authorities and the opposition not to use force,” noted Karasev.
In the balance of sanctions. The EU may at any time impose sanctions in connection with the situation in Ukraine. This was stated by the President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski in a published interview with local news agencies, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Irina Polina.
“Ukrainian authorities must be convinced that sanctions are hanging in the balance, that this can happen at any time if the spiral of the conflict is not stopped,” he said.
Accounts, "Lexus" and hectares of main maydanschikov arrested. According to “Law and Business”, the court arrested all the bank accounts for which funds were collected for “euromaidan” and “automaidan”. This decision was made in the framework of consideration of the claim of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine on compensation for damage to buildings during the riots in Kiev. This is reported by the channel "RT".
Under the injunction were bills of two public organizations that actively raised funds for the needs of the protesters: the NGO "Socially Responsible Society" and the NGO "Kievans for Reforms".
All the personal property of the people's deputies of Ukraine, who coordinate the actions of the participants in the mass unrest in the occupied buildings: Pashinsky, Avakov, Patskana, Averchenko, Kubiva, was also arrested; the property of Dmitry Bulatov, the leader of the “automaidan”, was also arrested. The arrest was imposed on apartments, houses and expensive cars.
The list of seized property includes several Mercedes, Lexus, Nissan cars, land plots for dozens of hectares, non-residential real estate objects, and apartments of people's deputies in Kiev and other cities of the country.
If the claim is satisfied, the said property will be transferred to the ownership of the Federation of Trade Unions as compensation for damage caused to the House of Trade Unions and the October Palace.
Snipers from NATO. The ruling party of Ukraine has accused NATO snipers of yesterday’s murders of two activists on Euromaidan. According to the deputy Yevgeny Balitsky, the assassins came to Kiev on the order of the opposition. It is reported by "UNIAN" with reference to the press service of the Party of Regions, writes Alexander MARFIN (Utro.ru).
“The version of spontaneous protest is excluded. This is a carefully planned operation of militants-saboteurs disguised in civilian clothes. Foreign technology for organizing the revolution failed? So you decided to play war using people who believed you as “cannon fodder?”, The news agency quoted Balitsky’s appeal to the organizers of the protests.
As the journalist notes, another representative of the Party of Regions - Arsen Klinchaev - during a rally in memory of those killed in Lugansk said: “These people went against the authorities. No one has the right to use physical force against the police. They are their sticks, then stones, something else. Police have the right to protect their lives. Therefore, I think it is right that these four people died. ”
According to eyewitnesses, the angry crowd pushed the deputy, he tried to fight back - so that the police even had to restrain him.
Klinchaev reported four dead.
According to official figures, there are only two dead. Both died from gunshot wounds.
According to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs, the firearms weapons the police do not have, which means that it is not involved in the death of activists.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that provocateurs from the opposition, who need a reason to exacerbate the situation, are guilty of the death of these people.
Stop it! Viktor Yanukovych appealed to foreign politicians to stop the struggle for influence on the country, reports "RT".
“What can the politicians of the West and the East help us with?” They must stop fighting among themselves for Ukraine. Our people will cope with the problems that we are now experiencing. Of course, we are grateful for the intentions. But, let's be frank, sometimes an elementary struggle for influence on Ukraine is behind these good intentions. Our state is independent. The people are mature. We want and we can decide for ourselves the fate of our country, ”says the head of state's statement, which Interfax quotes.
Yanukovych noted that "historical the fate of Ukraine is complicated from the very beginning, from the time of the Kiev state. ” “Because our land lies at a crossroads, on the border between the West and the East. The influence of two such different civilizations cannot but affect the mentality of different parts of our united, I repeat, united nation. ” The President explained: “It is because of this that throughout our history our people have had great difficulties. There were huge losses, there were tragedies. But at the same time, there was always the will of people to unite Ukraine. ”
“The dispensation was so ordered that it was in Soviet times that Ukraine again became a conciliar, united state. And it will remain indivisible. I guarantee this to you. While I am in charge of Ukraine, nobody will be able to divide it. ”
"Putin at the helm." All roads lead to Russia. Or rather, all roads lead to Vladimir Putin, who continues to manipulate the main geopolitical crises affecting America, wrote in Forbes Doug Schoen (a source of short translation - "Inopressa").
Syria? Putin at the helm. - Iran? Putin at the helm. - Snowden and NSA information leak? Putin at the helm. In short, everywhere Putin.
Peace talks on Syria began in Switzerland, and Russia positioned itself as a staunch ally of Bashar Assad.
Five days ago, the Iranian foreign minister came to Moscow to meet with Putin and Lavrov. The American parliamentarians express concern about the weakening of sanctions against Iran, and the Russian Foreign Ministry circulates a statement: "We count on strengthening positive trends in all areas of Russian-Iranian cooperation."
At a press conference, Putin called the NSA surveillance necessary to fight terrorism and outwardly expressed support for Obama, but ... provided refuge to Snowden.
According to the author, in all these cases, Russia beat and outwitted the United States. Interestingly, the Obama administration does not seem to see this. But these situations they are connected by one thread - Putin.
What to do?
It’s not too late “to take a decisive position against our enemies and say to Putin once and for all: we know that he supports these regimes, and we don’t intend to tolerate it any longer,” the article says.
Who or what you do not intend to tolerate, let me ask? Putin's? Modes? Mythical "enemies"? Stop creating yourself these very enemies, and you will be happy. If you, Doug Schoen, have not yet understood this, then Obama, this sensible thought, seems to have already visited.
Platon Lebedev will be released. The Presidium of the Supreme Court reduced the term of punishment to the former head of Menofep NFO, Platon Lebedev, and decided to release him from prison, reports Interfax.
Lebedev is scheduled for ten years, six months and 22 days. Punishment is calculated from 2 July 2003, when he was detained. The former head of “MENATEP” will be able to be released as soon as the original of the decision of the Supreme Court enters the Velsky colony, where he was serving a term.
The court refused to repeal the collection of 17 billion rubles in unpaid taxes from Khodorkovsky and Lebedev. The Presidium considered that there was no reason to cancel the decision of the lower instances in a civil suit.
However, the defense of Khodorkovsky will seek the abolition of the penalty.
“The defense will continue to consistently use all legal mechanisms in order to achieve the abolition of illegal claims only because it prevents Mikhail Borisovich from coming to Russia,” said Olga Pispanen, Khodorkovsky’s press secretary.
About Navalny and one hundred million. Alexey Navalny appeared in the Investigation Committee to familiarize himself with the materials on one criminal case and immediately received a subpoena on another - probably about the loss of 100 million rubles allocated for advertising of the SPS party, reports Maxim Kolomiets ("Reedus").
Navalny wrote in a Twitter microblog: “What kind of a thing is incomprehensible. So I expect that before transferring to the court of the “Yves Rocher case” they will bring me some other charges. To continue, so to speak, communication.
The interrogation will take place in late January. As Navalny notes, the investigator is the same as the one who conducted the case of the frauds with the Kirovles money.
Apparently, the journalist notes, we can talk about the case related to the loss of the advertising budget of ATP in 2007. The named party transferred to the firm "Allect", which was headed by Navalny, about 100 million rubles. According to investigators, the money was transferred from the accounts of “Allect” to companies, most of which had signs of one-day firms. Then the money disappeared without a trace.
Snowden: spying is not always bad. In the article “Snowden: Not all types of espionage are bad” (NBC, USA; translation source "InoSMI") Becky Brother writes that Edward Snowden spoke in favor of stopping the massive data collection, but noted that not all types of espionage are a negative phenomenon. His comments appeared in the chat at freesnowden.is.
Snowden questions could be asked via Twitter using the hashtag #AskSnowden.
The whistleblower should have voiced "his first reaction" to President Obama’s speech on national security last week.
Snowden criticized the practice of mass information gathering by the NSA, noting that it was completely illegal and should be stopped: “When even the federal government says that the NSA violated the constitution at least 120 a million times in one program, it wasn’t able to identify one "conspiracy", it is time to stop the "massive collection" of information, which is a euphemism for the term "mass surveillance". There is simply no excuse for continuing unconstitutional policies with zero success. ”
Snowden wrote something else: “Not all types of espionage are bad. The NSA and other US intelligence agencies are perfectly adapted to meet the requirements, using the method of targeted surveillance - as has always happened - without the use of the practice of mass surveillance of the population. "
Then Snowden returned to his argument: “Gathering information about telephone conversations and emails of every American is a waste of money, time and manpower that could be used more rationally by following people who are seriously suspicious.”
Other Answers Snowden Leads "Voice of Russia" with links to ITAR-TASS, RIA Novosti and Interfax.
One of the users asked the whistleblower if he was afraid for his life. “I know that there is a direct threat to my life, but they will not frighten me. Doing the right things means not feeling sorry, ”Snowden said.
Edward denied the earlier reports that he had access to secret data, using the logins and passwords of colleagues on the NSA. The officers who trusted in Snowden were allegedly identified, interrogated and suspended from their duties. “This is just a lie. I have never stolen any passwords and never deceived my colleagues, ”said the former US intelligence officer.
Returning to his homeland Snowden called desirable but impossible (taking into account legislation on informants): “Returning to the US, I think, is the best solution for the government, society and myself, but unfortunately this is not possible under the conditions of the current legislation on the protection of abusers which, due to a flaw, does not cover national security contractors like me. ”
According to him, the “hundred-year law”, under which he was charged and “which was never intended to be used against people acting in the public interest,” essentially prohibits protection on the basis of public interests.
By the way, in the USA they once again confirmed that they are not going to “pardon” Snowden.
As transmits correspondent RIA "Novosti" Alexey Bogdanovsky referring to Politico, the head of the Ministry of Justice, US Attorney General Eric Holder, said yesterday that the US authorities are ready to negotiate with the author of disclosures about the special services, but not pardon him.
“We have always made it clear <...> that we do not want to consider the possibility of a pardon. If he wants to return to the US and plead guilty, we will talk to his lawyers, ”said Holder at the University of Virginia.
US authorities, like a correspondent. RIA "Novosti", accused Snowden on three episodes: unauthorized disclosure of intelligence information, defense information and theft of state intellectual property.
Meanwhile, these same authorities and the true stigma in the gun.
The report of the independent Federal Council on the protection of civil liberties of the United States said that the NSA phone wiretap is directed against the privacy and civil rights of Americans and should be curtailed, writes "Reedus".
The 238-page document, excerpts from which are published in The New York Times, deals with the use of data obtained during the program. Conclusions: the program itself “lacks solid legal grounds”, and the actual benefits of its implementation in the fight against terrorism are called “minimal”.
In fact, let us add on our own, Comrade Snowden said the same thing.
“There is not a single case in which she directly contributed to the disclosure of a terrorist plot or led to the breakdown of a terrorist attack,” the report’s authors note.
They emphasize that the activities of the special services "pose a serious threat to private life and civil rights."
Two thirds of Americans are unhappy with the government in the country. During the “Mood of the Nation” public opinion poll, conducted by the Gallup organization, 65% of respondents negatively answered the question to what extent they were satisfied by “the system of government and how well it works”. He writes about it correspondent ITAR-TASS Andrey Shitov.
According to the study, almost two thirds of Americans consider the domestic bureaucracy too cumbersome and influential.
Corr. ITAR-TASS recalls that on January 28, Obama will deliver his traditional message to Congress "On the situation of the country." His own popularity, according to polls, is close to record lows. According to the estimates of Real Clear Politics, on average, he is currently gaining 43% positive responses against 51,4% negative ones.
The US Secretary of Defense was thinking about nuclear discipline. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered an independent study of the state of military discipline and the combat readiness of American strategic nuclear forces, which have recently been affected by a series of scandals. According to Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby, within 90 days, a “small group” of former military leaders will prepare a special report on this topic addressed to the minister, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Ivan Lebedev.
Also, the commander of the US Air Force and Navy, responsible for land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine missiles and strategic bombers, is to develop an action plan aimed at identifying and eliminating deficiencies. This issue will be discussed at a meeting with the commanders, which in the next two weeks will be held by the head of the Defense Ministry and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Martin Dempsey.
The group of former high-ranking military, which will prepare an independent report, will also analyze the Action Plan and give it an assessment.
Pentagon spokesman noted that the minister decided to check the situation not only in the Air Force, but also in the military navy, which also has nuclear weapons.
The representative of the Pentagon stressed that, according to Hagel, we are talking about "one of the most difficult and important tasks" facing the US Armed Forces.
Bearded, with piercing and painted nails. In the armies of which countries can soldiers paint their nails, make tattoos, wear turbans and beards, and in which it is forbidden? On this topic, made a selection of Maxim Lisovsky ("Voice of Russia").
For example, the German Armed Forces are tightening discipline and expelling "punks" from their ranks. The Bundeswehr prohibits servicemen to wear beards, "Iroquois" and put on the body of pornotus.
In the Self-Defense Forces of Japan with tattoos everything is also very clear: in modern Japanese society, they are definitely associated with criminal syndicates, the yakuza. Japanese soldiers are also prohibited from wearing full beards, dyeing hair and doing piercing.
In the 2012 year, according to The Telegraph, the fight against tattoos began in Italy. The soldiers and officers, under the fear of dismissal, were forced to remove any sexist, anti-Semitic or racist tattoo from the body.
For example, wearing beards is mandatory for the sappers of the French Foreign Legion.
Seamen of the Royal Navy of Great Britain are allowed to wear a full beard with a mustache, but only of such length that would not interfere with the performance of official duties. And another thing: if it turns out that a sailor’s beard and mustache are not growing well enough, the captain should demand that they be completely shaved off.
Get rid of your wife, Mr. Obama! LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said on Wednesday that the leaders of the major world powers should not have wives. It was because of his wife, the US president began to look bad lately. About this newspaper writes "Sight" with reference to RIA "News".
Zhirinovsky said:
The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party is sure: the wife interferes with governing the state:
What to do? I mean, with Obama's wife?
Zhirinovsky knows that. He has already announced that he will send a letter to Mr. Obama so that he “will get rid of her sooner”.
By the way, with a statement about the fact that Obama “rules the whole world,” we add, Mr. Zhirinovsky obviously got excited.
Heart az-Zavahiri bleeds. The leader of al-Qaeda appealed to the Islamists and oppositionists fighting in Syria and urged them to stop the strife and unite against the Assad regime. About the appearance on the Internet audio az-Zavahiri reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to France-Presse.
“Our hearts are bleeding ... when we see how the Syrian Mujahideen are fighting each other,” the CNN appeal quotes. However, it was not possible to determine the authenticity of the record.
Lenta reminds that more than a thousand people have already fallen victims of the confrontation between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the so-called moderate rebels.
Earlier, az-Zavahiri criticized civil strife in Syria, but mostly it related to ISIS activities. The al-Qaida leader demanded that the group dissolve itself. Al-Qaeda considers its front in al-Nusra its sole representative in Syria. The methods of ISIS were also criticized by Zawahiri, namely, excessive violence.
If az-Zavahiri will continue in the same spirit, the State Department will recognize him as a democrat and a fighter for human rights, we’ll add.
Authenticity will be established. The United States agrees that data on alleged crimes against humanity by the ruling regime in Damascus cannot simply be taken on faith. This was confirmed at a press briefing for journalists by the deputy head of the US State Department press service, Marie Harf, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Dmitry Kirsanov.
State Department spokesman was asked to comment on the statements of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who in an interview with CNN television said in connection with the appearance of a whole array of photographs, allegedly indicating the use of torture and extrajudicial reprisals by the Syrian authorities that a priori declare President Assad a criminal is unacceptable.
“I repeat once again: all these crimes, and these are exactly crimes, should be recorded, evidence collected on them, and subsequently these actions can be brought against either the authorities or those who oppose the authorities. But this still needs to be proved, ”Medvedev said, noting that this should be done within the framework of the criminal process.
Harf said the United States is "working on authenticating" the photographic evidence of the atrocities in Syria, on which the report is based (the same one that was previously prepared with the assistance of Qatar).
At the same time, she said, displayed in these photos, “fully corresponds to everything else that we have seen from the Assad regime.” "We have seen a huge amount of evidence that he (that is, Assad) committed war crimes ... We have no reason (in this case) to doubt the authenticity of the photos."
How convenient is the diplomatic language, let us add. The United States is "working to establish authenticity"! Therefore, authenticate. The one in which "no reason" to doubt. Recently, American experts proved that Assad could not use 21 chemical weapons in August last year, but the position of the State Department and Obama personally did not change. Assad - a tyrant and a murderer of his own people, and the point. To admit the opposite means to inform the whole world that the highest officials of the USA were mistaken. Self-criticism in the State Department and the White House is not accepted.
Hackers hacked CNN accounts. Hackers from the "Syrian e-army" 23 January hacked the accounts of CNN on Twitter and Facebook, according to "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
One of the messages posted by hackers read: “The Syrian Electronic Army” was here. Stop lying. All your reports are fake. ”
Representatives of CNN claim that these appeals stayed on the channel accounts for several minutes and were removed.
“Vesti” reminds us that on January 11, the same group hacked into a Microsoft account on Twitter. There was a call to boycott the products of this company.
A letter from Kim Jong-un. DPRK authorities today unveiled an open letter to the leadership of South Korea calling for an end to mutual hostility, reports RIA News" with reference to France Press.
“In order to pave the way for improvement of relations between the North and the South, it is important to take a bold decision and stop all hostile military actions - this is the biggest obstacle that distrust and confrontation do not subside,” the agency quoted the State Defense Committee’s message.
The letter was drafted by order of Kim Jong-un.
The statement says that Pyongyang is committed to an atmosphere of reconciliation and unity, which will allow to continue the dialogue and resume multilateral cooperation between the countries.
More than five are not going to. Thai authorities have banned residents of the country to gather in groups of more than five people. Reports about it "Lenta.ru" with reference to The Bangkok Post.
The decree is signed by the head of the government of the country Yinglak Chinawat. At the same time, the document forbade journalists to publish ambiguous information and messages that pose a threat to national security.
The document will apply to all provinces in which the state of emergency.
Catch the government! Thai opposition promised reward for the capture of the country's leadership. This statement was made by the "Union of students and the people for the reform of Thailand", writes "Lenta.ru" with links to The Bangkok Post and RIANews».
Activists are willing to pay for the arrest of Prime Minister Yinglak Chinavat and the director of the Center for Peacekeeping (this agency is responsible for imposing a state of emergency in Bangkok) Chalerma Yubamrung. Oppositionists also offered rewards for the arrest of the head of the police, Adul Saensinku.
According to the opposition, these politicians are responsible for the unjustified introduction of emergency in Bangkok. How much they are willing to pay for the representatives of the authorities is not specified.
The sentence was carried out. Indian police arrest 13 people suspected of gang-rape 20-year-old resident of West Bengal, reports "Lenta.ru" with reference to Reuters.
According to investigators, the suspects raped a woman the whole night: the village council of elders ordered them to do this, who decided to punish her in this way for relations with a resident of another village who professed a different religion.
France-Presse clarifies that the woman and her lover were tied to the trees in the village square and demanded to pay a fine for 400 dollars. The man agreed to pay the fine, and the woman’s family announced that she had no such money. And the elders decided to replace the fine with group rape.
After punishment, a woman in serious condition was taken to a local hospital.
Ten thousand people - or no one. The Pentagon offered Obama to leave in Afghanistan after the 2014 of the year and to the end of his tenure at the White House 10 of thousands of soldiers. A smaller contingent will not be able to complete the assigned tasks. If this is impossible, then Washington should withdraw its contingent from this country altogether, the columnist for the department of international politics writes "Independent newspaper" Evgenia Novikova.
"It is proposed to leave 10 thousand or no one at all, a complete conclusion," said an informed source in the US administration.
The Wall Street Journal writes that one part of the troops will be engaged in the fight against terrorism, while the other (large) will train and advise the Afghan army and security forces. A smaller number of troops will not be enough to protect diplomats, military instructors and intelligence officers who will remain in Afghanistan after the operation.
The Pentagon plan provides for the completion of the presence of US troops by the end of Obama’s term. The US leader will have the opportunity, leaving the presidency, to declare the end of America’s longest war.
The end of the British military? Patrick Wintour’s article, Multicultural Britain Against Military Operations Abroad, was published in The Guardian (a short translation "Inopressa").
High-ranking officials of the British Ministry of Defense say that in an increasingly multicultural UK there is a growing protest against the participation of the country's armed forces in ground operations abroad.
In addition to the general fatigue from the war, the defense ministry noted a protest against sending British troops to countries from which the citizens of the country or their families had once arrived.
The ministry continues to analyze the unexpected decision of the House of Commons to refuse to participate in the operation against Assad. According to the military leadership, the refusal of parliamentarians is not confined to political battles between Labor and the government, but indicates a long-term tendency deeply rooted in British society.
This does not mean a complete abandonment of military operations, the newspaper’s interlocutors emphasize. But from now on, their development should focus on the actions of the Air Force and Navy, and not on large-scale ground invasions. Operations like intervention in Libya in the future are possible, but the repetition of Afghanistan or Iraq is not.
The government insists that a comprehensive analysis of the "militancy" of the British will not affect plans to reduce the number of Armed Forces.
23 January, Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond will announce the dismissal of another 1400 military. This will be the fourth stage of activities in the framework of reducing the number of armed forces from 102 thousand to 82,5 thousand people.
"How can France give moral lessons to Russia? .." The leader of the National Front of France, Marine Le Pen, at a press conference in Paris, answered questions from Russian journalists. Her answers led Maria Sidelnikova ("Voice of Russia").
“We condemn the aggressive and unjust policy of the French authorities towards Syria and Iran,” said Marine Le Pen. She regretted the absence of the Iranian delegation at the Geneva-2 peace conference.
The leader of the extreme right emphasized that today 80% of Syrian rebels are Islamists and al-Qaida militants.
The main lie of France, in Le Pen’s opinion, is its close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which is the main driving force in the international spread of Islamic fundamentalism. She also touched on Russia in Saudi Arabia: “How can France give moral lessons to Russia, where the law against homosexuality propaganda was adopted, and at the same time approach the country where homosexuals are sentenced to death, where women are completely subordinate to men, and where immigrants do slaves? "
Concerning Ukraine, Marine Le Pen said the following. She believes that Europe should not interfere in the internal problems of the country. Whether it is Ukraine or Central Africa, the scheme is the same: on one side of the scale are the interests of international partners, be it the USA or the EU, on the other the weakness of the nation state in which the crisis occurs. The absence of democratic freedoms and values is only a pretext for outside intervention.
France, Le Pen believes, has become less independent: “... the problem of France’s international politics is that it is not independent. Paris struggles to please Washington by adhering to the US international line. Americans have the right to protect their interests, nobody condemns them for it. In this situation, I am surprised by the position of France, which is ready to sacrifice its interests, but to the last to defend the interests of the United States. Many European countries have already realized that in the long run, abandoning good relations with Russia, especially in the field of commerce and energy, is absurd. We saw these timid advances of European leaders with Moscow. It was in France under Sarkozy, in Italy under Berlusconi. A step forward - two back. They can not get rid of prejudices and think about the benefits for their country. ”
What was discovered by American journalists in Poland. The Washington Post journalists attribute to the CIA the organization of a secret prison in Poland. According to reporters, after the 11 attacks of September 2001, secret services rented a villa near the village of Stare Keikuty. The training center of the Polish Intelligence Agency was located there. For 15 million dollars (so much rent), it became one of the secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe. This is reported "Vesti" with reference to ITAR-TASS.
The premises of the object were completely rebuilt. The first terror suspects were delivered there on December 5 2002. Poles access to them was strictly forbidden. The secret prison where the prisoners were tortured was run by Mr. Michael Seeley.
The base was closed in September 2003. The prisoners were transferred to similar CIA facilities in Romania and Morocco.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the National Security Bureau of the Republic declined to comment on the information. The “screenplay for a Hollywood film” was an article in the American newspaper Leszek Miller, who served as Polish Prime Minister in 2001-2004.
In the Karabakh conflict zone. The tension on the contact line of the Armenian-Azerbaijani troops in the Karabakh conflict zone reached its peak. This statement was made at a meeting with the media by Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan in Yerevan on January 22 after the funeral of the Armenian army soldier, junior sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan, who died as a result of the incident in the front-line zone, reports IA "REGNUM".
The incident occurred from 19 on January 20 in the northeast (Jraberd) and southeast (Corgan) directions of the contact line, when the diversionary groups of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces carried out penetration attempts. The advanced units of the Karabakh armed forces spotted the actions of the Azerbaijani sabotage groups and moved to defense in both directions. During a firefight in combat positions, junior sergeant of Nagorno-Karabakh Armen Hovhannisyan died from a gunshot wound. “During the penetration of the sabotage and reconnaissance groups, Armen Hovhannisyan and his friends fought heroically and gave an adequate response. The enemy, sustaining heavy casualties - several dead and about 25 injured - was thrown back, ”said Ohanian.
He further noted that the tension on the contact line reached a peak: “For two days, as the tension reached its peak, attacks by the enemy are systematic. Shelling has never been so intense. The response will certainly be taken, we will find a moment for this. ”
What is the reason for the activity of the Azerbaijani side on the front line? The minister explained that this is a provocation, aiming to save tension and introduce distortions in the negotiation process.
Opposition and Yanukovych. Vitali Klitschko and Oleg Tignibok told the audience on the Grushevsky street that they had agreed on negotiations with President Yanukovych: the parties would cease to use force, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs would release the detainees during the riots. This was reported by the TV channel Espresso TV, which is a live broadcast from Grushevskogo street in Kiev, reports RIA News".
“UNIAN” at the same time reports that the protesters perceived the statements of opposition leaders ambiguously: some demanded to continue the confrontation, others called for “listening to the soviets”.
According to Klitschko, according to the agreements, Yanukovych and Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko will stop the use of force and publicly announce the release of all detainees, in turn, the protesters must also refrain from the use of force.
As the "Lenta.ru", in front of the demonstrators gathered in the center of Kiev, made the leader of the association "Svoboda" Oleg Tyagnibok.
According to him, the authorities promised to submit to the Verkhovna Rada the question of repealing the resonant laws adopted by 16 in January. The meeting will take place on January 28. As reported by “Segodnya”, he also said that within three days the courts will review the preventive measure for arrested participants in rallies for house arrest.
To Kiev on a visit. European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle plans to discuss the current political situation in Ukraine with the country's leadership and the opposition. The program of the two-day visit includes meetings with President Viktor Yanukovych and leaders of opposition parties, reports ITAR-TASS.
Ukrainian political analyst, director of the Global Strategy Institute Vadim Karasyov said in an interview with ITAR-TASS that he did not expect “serious results” from the visit of Mr. Fule. The expert drew attention to the fact that "the Ukrainian government is looking for a peaceful way" to resolve the current situation. This is evidenced by her intention to seek a compromise with the opposition in the Verkhovna Rada, which will meet on January 28 for an extraordinary session. “By the arrival of Füle, the Ukrainian authorities had already prepared their proposals on possible ways out of the current situation,” the political scientist stated.
Ukrainian political scientist is convinced that Fule will not bring scenarios out of the political crisis. “He can only ask the authorities and the opposition not to use force,” noted Karasev.
In the balance of sanctions. The EU may at any time impose sanctions in connection with the situation in Ukraine. This was stated by the President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski in a published interview with local news agencies, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Irina Polina.
“Ukrainian authorities must be convinced that sanctions are hanging in the balance, that this can happen at any time if the spiral of the conflict is not stopped,” he said.
Accounts, "Lexus" and hectares of main maydanschikov arrested. According to “Law and Business”, the court arrested all the bank accounts for which funds were collected for “euromaidan” and “automaidan”. This decision was made in the framework of consideration of the claim of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine on compensation for damage to buildings during the riots in Kiev. This is reported by the channel "RT".
Under the injunction were bills of two public organizations that actively raised funds for the needs of the protesters: the NGO "Socially Responsible Society" and the NGO "Kievans for Reforms".
All the personal property of the people's deputies of Ukraine, who coordinate the actions of the participants in the mass unrest in the occupied buildings: Pashinsky, Avakov, Patskana, Averchenko, Kubiva, was also arrested; the property of Dmitry Bulatov, the leader of the “automaidan”, was also arrested. The arrest was imposed on apartments, houses and expensive cars.
The list of seized property includes several Mercedes, Lexus, Nissan cars, land plots for dozens of hectares, non-residential real estate objects, and apartments of people's deputies in Kiev and other cities of the country.
If the claim is satisfied, the said property will be transferred to the ownership of the Federation of Trade Unions as compensation for damage caused to the House of Trade Unions and the October Palace.
Snipers from NATO. The ruling party of Ukraine has accused NATO snipers of yesterday’s murders of two activists on Euromaidan. According to the deputy Yevgeny Balitsky, the assassins came to Kiev on the order of the opposition. It is reported by "UNIAN" with reference to the press service of the Party of Regions, writes Alexander MARFIN (Utro.ru).
“The version of spontaneous protest is excluded. This is a carefully planned operation of militants-saboteurs disguised in civilian clothes. Foreign technology for organizing the revolution failed? So you decided to play war using people who believed you as “cannon fodder?”, The news agency quoted Balitsky’s appeal to the organizers of the protests.
As the journalist notes, another representative of the Party of Regions - Arsen Klinchaev - during a rally in memory of those killed in Lugansk said: “These people went against the authorities. No one has the right to use physical force against the police. They are their sticks, then stones, something else. Police have the right to protect their lives. Therefore, I think it is right that these four people died. ”
According to eyewitnesses, the angry crowd pushed the deputy, he tried to fight back - so that the police even had to restrain him.
Klinchaev reported four dead.
According to official figures, there are only two dead. Both died from gunshot wounds.
According to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs, the firearms weapons the police do not have, which means that it is not involved in the death of activists.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that provocateurs from the opposition, who need a reason to exacerbate the situation, are guilty of the death of these people.
Stop it! Viktor Yanukovych appealed to foreign politicians to stop the struggle for influence on the country, reports "RT".
“What can the politicians of the West and the East help us with?” They must stop fighting among themselves for Ukraine. Our people will cope with the problems that we are now experiencing. Of course, we are grateful for the intentions. But, let's be frank, sometimes an elementary struggle for influence on Ukraine is behind these good intentions. Our state is independent. The people are mature. We want and we can decide for ourselves the fate of our country, ”says the head of state's statement, which Interfax quotes.
Yanukovych noted that "historical the fate of Ukraine is complicated from the very beginning, from the time of the Kiev state. ” “Because our land lies at a crossroads, on the border between the West and the East. The influence of two such different civilizations cannot but affect the mentality of different parts of our united, I repeat, united nation. ” The President explained: “It is because of this that throughout our history our people have had great difficulties. There were huge losses, there were tragedies. But at the same time, there was always the will of people to unite Ukraine. ”
“The dispensation was so ordered that it was in Soviet times that Ukraine again became a conciliar, united state. And it will remain indivisible. I guarantee this to you. While I am in charge of Ukraine, nobody will be able to divide it. ”
"Putin at the helm." All roads lead to Russia. Or rather, all roads lead to Vladimir Putin, who continues to manipulate the main geopolitical crises affecting America, wrote in Forbes Doug Schoen (a source of short translation - "Inopressa").
Syria? Putin at the helm. - Iran? Putin at the helm. - Snowden and NSA information leak? Putin at the helm. In short, everywhere Putin.
Peace talks on Syria began in Switzerland, and Russia positioned itself as a staunch ally of Bashar Assad.
Five days ago, the Iranian foreign minister came to Moscow to meet with Putin and Lavrov. The American parliamentarians express concern about the weakening of sanctions against Iran, and the Russian Foreign Ministry circulates a statement: "We count on strengthening positive trends in all areas of Russian-Iranian cooperation."
At a press conference, Putin called the NSA surveillance necessary to fight terrorism and outwardly expressed support for Obama, but ... provided refuge to Snowden.
According to the author, in all these cases, Russia beat and outwitted the United States. Interestingly, the Obama administration does not seem to see this. But these situations they are connected by one thread - Putin.
What to do?
It’s not too late “to take a decisive position against our enemies and say to Putin once and for all: we know that he supports these regimes, and we don’t intend to tolerate it any longer,” the article says.
Who or what you do not intend to tolerate, let me ask? Putin's? Modes? Mythical "enemies"? Stop creating yourself these very enemies, and you will be happy. If you, Doug Schoen, have not yet understood this, then Obama, this sensible thought, seems to have already visited.
Platon Lebedev will be released. The Presidium of the Supreme Court reduced the term of punishment to the former head of Menofep NFO, Platon Lebedev, and decided to release him from prison, reports Interfax.
Lebedev is scheduled for ten years, six months and 22 days. Punishment is calculated from 2 July 2003, when he was detained. The former head of “MENATEP” will be able to be released as soon as the original of the decision of the Supreme Court enters the Velsky colony, where he was serving a term.
The court refused to repeal the collection of 17 billion rubles in unpaid taxes from Khodorkovsky and Lebedev. The Presidium considered that there was no reason to cancel the decision of the lower instances in a civil suit.
However, the defense of Khodorkovsky will seek the abolition of the penalty.
“The defense will continue to consistently use all legal mechanisms in order to achieve the abolition of illegal claims only because it prevents Mikhail Borisovich from coming to Russia,” said Olga Pispanen, Khodorkovsky’s press secretary.
About Navalny and one hundred million. Alexey Navalny appeared in the Investigation Committee to familiarize himself with the materials on one criminal case and immediately received a subpoena on another - probably about the loss of 100 million rubles allocated for advertising of the SPS party, reports Maxim Kolomiets ("Reedus").
Navalny wrote in a Twitter microblog: “What kind of a thing is incomprehensible. So I expect that before transferring to the court of the “Yves Rocher case” they will bring me some other charges. To continue, so to speak, communication.
The interrogation will take place in late January. As Navalny notes, the investigator is the same as the one who conducted the case of the frauds with the Kirovles money.
Apparently, the journalist notes, we can talk about the case related to the loss of the advertising budget of ATP in 2007. The named party transferred to the firm "Allect", which was headed by Navalny, about 100 million rubles. According to investigators, the money was transferred from the accounts of “Allect” to companies, most of which had signs of one-day firms. Then the money disappeared without a trace.
Snowden: spying is not always bad. In the article “Snowden: Not all types of espionage are bad” (NBC, USA; translation source "InoSMI") Becky Brother writes that Edward Snowden spoke in favor of stopping the massive data collection, but noted that not all types of espionage are a negative phenomenon. His comments appeared in the chat at freesnowden.is.
Snowden questions could be asked via Twitter using the hashtag #AskSnowden.
The whistleblower should have voiced "his first reaction" to President Obama’s speech on national security last week.
Snowden criticized the practice of mass information gathering by the NSA, noting that it was completely illegal and should be stopped: “When even the federal government says that the NSA violated the constitution at least 120 a million times in one program, it wasn’t able to identify one "conspiracy", it is time to stop the "massive collection" of information, which is a euphemism for the term "mass surveillance". There is simply no excuse for continuing unconstitutional policies with zero success. ”
Snowden wrote something else: “Not all types of espionage are bad. The NSA and other US intelligence agencies are perfectly adapted to meet the requirements, using the method of targeted surveillance - as has always happened - without the use of the practice of mass surveillance of the population. "
Then Snowden returned to his argument: “Gathering information about telephone conversations and emails of every American is a waste of money, time and manpower that could be used more rationally by following people who are seriously suspicious.”
Other Answers Snowden Leads "Voice of Russia" with links to ITAR-TASS, RIA Novosti and Interfax.
One of the users asked the whistleblower if he was afraid for his life. “I know that there is a direct threat to my life, but they will not frighten me. Doing the right things means not feeling sorry, ”Snowden said.
Edward denied the earlier reports that he had access to secret data, using the logins and passwords of colleagues on the NSA. The officers who trusted in Snowden were allegedly identified, interrogated and suspended from their duties. “This is just a lie. I have never stolen any passwords and never deceived my colleagues, ”said the former US intelligence officer.
Returning to his homeland Snowden called desirable but impossible (taking into account legislation on informants): “Returning to the US, I think, is the best solution for the government, society and myself, but unfortunately this is not possible under the conditions of the current legislation on the protection of abusers which, due to a flaw, does not cover national security contractors like me. ”
According to him, the “hundred-year law”, under which he was charged and “which was never intended to be used against people acting in the public interest,” essentially prohibits protection on the basis of public interests.
By the way, in the USA they once again confirmed that they are not going to “pardon” Snowden.
As transmits correspondent RIA "Novosti" Alexey Bogdanovsky referring to Politico, the head of the Ministry of Justice, US Attorney General Eric Holder, said yesterday that the US authorities are ready to negotiate with the author of disclosures about the special services, but not pardon him.
“We have always made it clear <...> that we do not want to consider the possibility of a pardon. If he wants to return to the US and plead guilty, we will talk to his lawyers, ”said Holder at the University of Virginia.
US authorities, like a correspondent. RIA "Novosti", accused Snowden on three episodes: unauthorized disclosure of intelligence information, defense information and theft of state intellectual property.
Meanwhile, these same authorities and the true stigma in the gun.
The report of the independent Federal Council on the protection of civil liberties of the United States said that the NSA phone wiretap is directed against the privacy and civil rights of Americans and should be curtailed, writes "Reedus".
The 238-page document, excerpts from which are published in The New York Times, deals with the use of data obtained during the program. Conclusions: the program itself “lacks solid legal grounds”, and the actual benefits of its implementation in the fight against terrorism are called “minimal”.
In fact, let us add on our own, Comrade Snowden said the same thing.
“There is not a single case in which she directly contributed to the disclosure of a terrorist plot or led to the breakdown of a terrorist attack,” the report’s authors note.
They emphasize that the activities of the special services "pose a serious threat to private life and civil rights."
Two thirds of Americans are unhappy with the government in the country. During the “Mood of the Nation” public opinion poll, conducted by the Gallup organization, 65% of respondents negatively answered the question to what extent they were satisfied by “the system of government and how well it works”. He writes about it correspondent ITAR-TASS Andrey Shitov.
According to the study, almost two thirds of Americans consider the domestic bureaucracy too cumbersome and influential.
Corr. ITAR-TASS recalls that on January 28, Obama will deliver his traditional message to Congress "On the situation of the country." His own popularity, according to polls, is close to record lows. According to the estimates of Real Clear Politics, on average, he is currently gaining 43% positive responses against 51,4% negative ones.
The US Secretary of Defense was thinking about nuclear discipline. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered an independent study of the state of military discipline and the combat readiness of American strategic nuclear forces, which have recently been affected by a series of scandals. According to Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby, within 90 days, a “small group” of former military leaders will prepare a special report on this topic addressed to the minister, reports correspondent ITAR-TASS Ivan Lebedev.
Also, the commander of the US Air Force and Navy, responsible for land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine missiles and strategic bombers, is to develop an action plan aimed at identifying and eliminating deficiencies. This issue will be discussed at a meeting with the commanders, which in the next two weeks will be held by the head of the Defense Ministry and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Martin Dempsey.
The group of former high-ranking military, which will prepare an independent report, will also analyze the Action Plan and give it an assessment.
Pentagon spokesman noted that the minister decided to check the situation not only in the Air Force, but also in the military navy, which also has nuclear weapons.
The representative of the Pentagon stressed that, according to Hagel, we are talking about "one of the most difficult and important tasks" facing the US Armed Forces.
Bearded, with piercing and painted nails. In the armies of which countries can soldiers paint their nails, make tattoos, wear turbans and beards, and in which it is forbidden? On this topic, made a selection of Maxim Lisovsky ("Voice of Russia").
For example, the German Armed Forces are tightening discipline and expelling "punks" from their ranks. The Bundeswehr prohibits servicemen to wear beards, "Iroquois" and put on the body of pornotus.
In the Self-Defense Forces of Japan with tattoos everything is also very clear: in modern Japanese society, they are definitely associated with criminal syndicates, the yakuza. Japanese soldiers are also prohibited from wearing full beards, dyeing hair and doing piercing.
In the 2012 year, according to The Telegraph, the fight against tattoos began in Italy. The soldiers and officers, under the fear of dismissal, were forced to remove any sexist, anti-Semitic or racist tattoo from the body.
For example, wearing beards is mandatory for the sappers of the French Foreign Legion.
Seamen of the Royal Navy of Great Britain are allowed to wear a full beard with a mustache, but only of such length that would not interfere with the performance of official duties. And another thing: if it turns out that a sailor’s beard and mustache are not growing well enough, the captain should demand that they be completely shaved off.
Get rid of your wife, Mr. Obama! LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said on Wednesday that the leaders of the major world powers should not have wives. It was because of his wife, the US president began to look bad lately. About this newspaper writes "Sight" with reference to RIA "News".
Zhirinovsky said:
“Obama outwardly, look, has changed a lot. Turned green. Wrinkles become more. Michelle is to blame. Michelle brought it. Clinton was killed by Monica, and here is his wife. The leaders of large powerful states, of course, should be without wives. ”
The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party is sure: the wife interferes with governing the state:
“He rules the whole world, and here she is with her silly little things. Here it is. The fifth year went, he could not resist. All turned gray.
.What to do? I mean, with Obama's wife?
Zhirinovsky knows that. He has already announced that he will send a letter to Mr. Obama so that he “will get rid of her sooner”.
By the way, with a statement about the fact that Obama “rules the whole world,” we add, Mr. Zhirinovsky obviously got excited.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
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