Ibrahim al-Amin reports for al-Akbar:
Near midnight on Tuesday, August 6, an Israeli commando unit began to move from the Palestinian side toward Lebanon’s northern frontier. The unit deployed to several points along the fence before starting to cross into Lebanon nearly 20 minutes later.
The unit followed a path that is in the line of sight of both Labbouna and Jall al-Alam, the two largest Israeli outposts in the western area near the southern Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab. In the area, there is a narrow footpath that Israeli soldiers have been caught using before, carrying out activities of a security nature.
To cross further into Lebanese territory, the Israeli soldiers had almost no choice but to take a road that bypasses the UNIFIL outpost, while also allowing them to go undetected by the Lebanese army post nearby. This road is nearly 1 km. The soldiers took a few minutes to cross it, moving toward another area containing what resembles a ditch, which the soldiers crossed before arriving at slightly higher ground.
At 40 minutes past midnight, an explosive device containing four smaller devices filled with ball bearings exploded. Exactly 20 seconds later, a similar device was detonated. The two explosions had a blast radius of about 15 meters, enough to hit everything and everyone that moved within the blast zone.
The well-trained Israeli soldiers, as they appeared to be, had been deployed in formations that seemed to anticipate an ambush. They kept a certain distance from one another, while some took cover behind the hills of the same ditch mentioned earlier, and others moved to higher ground. Nevertheless, the intruding unit was dispersed in a matter of minutes.
A firefight ensued, but news of it was suppressed until yesterday evening. A rescue force intervened soon after, along with soldiers from the Labbouna and Jall al-Alam outposts, firing flares in the sky, while moving to evacuate the casualties.
Although the Israeli army needed quite some time to complete the evacuation, it is clear that the Israeli army was also keen to remove, as much as possible, all traces of events. However, the injuries of the soldiers and fear of new attacks, forced the Israelis to withdraw quickly, leaving traces of blood behind. After about four and a half hours, the site of the confrontation was completely deserted.
Meanwhile, and unsurprisingly, UNIFIL stood idly by, doing nothing to investigate the incident. According to a senior officer in the UN peacekeeping force, his soldiers made quick contacts with the Israeli side, which claimed that nothing significant had taken place, and that the two explosions were probably caused by fireworks.
When the Lebanese army detachment in the area received orders to go to the location of the incident, the UNIFIL soldiers tried to go with them. But the Lebanese army asked them to stand by, before asking them later to join the Lebanese soldiers at the site.
At any rate, no one was going to find anything there. Lebanese and international soldiers examined the scene of the confrontation, and all they saw were traces of ball bearings in the trees, and a blood trail marking the Israeli line of withdrawal. The distance by which the Israelis breached the border was determined by measuring the distance between the farthest blood spatter and the Blue Line, and was found to be around 400 meters into Lebanese territory.
Conclusions
It seems that the Israeli unit was tasked to carry out a military operation rather than reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is not yet known what exactly the soldiers intended to do during their incursion in one of the last nights of Ramadan, but informed observers believe it likely that the Israelis were preparing for some kind of a military-intelligence operation.
Details remain elusive, but it might be worthwhile to note that the incident took place around the same time as the last few days of the famous July war, when the Israeli army moved its armored divisions and infantry only to be dealt the harshest defeat in its history.
Israel announced that four of its soldiers were wounded in the incident, including three who suffered moderate wounds and a fourth who had minor injuries. Israeli military censors, however, prevented doctors, journalists, and mayors in the northern settlements from disclosing any further details. Despite the many secrets that continue to engulf the incident near Alma al-Shaab, the Israelis face a difficult question: How did Hezbollah know they were coming?Nevertheless, the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon in the aftermath of the incident are sufficient to confirm that the Israeli army was about to carry out some kind of operation inside Lebanese territory. All hints made by the Israelis about “defending the border” practically mean that the Israeli side is admitting to committing the folly of violating the border with Lebanon, before encountering an ambush that only the Resistance could have set up, with explosive devices meant only for the Israelis.
The military analysis and the lessons of the 10-minute encounter have put the Israelis face to face with some embarrassing questions. These questions can also be addressed to those who continue to question the worth of the Resistance, its weapons, and its readiness.
First, after nearly 30 years of an open-ended confrontation between the Resistance and the enemy, the Israelis continue to encounter unpleasant surprises. Sixteen years after the famous ambush in Ansariyeh in September 1997 – when an elite Israeli unit was routed in a Hezbollah ambush – the Resistance can still demonstrate its ability to surprise the enemy. What will be told in detail later is that the Israeli force fell into an airtight ambush this time as well. Despite the many secrets that continue to engulf the incident near Alma al-Shaab, the Israelis face a difficult question: How did Hezbollah know they were coming?
For the enemy, the obvious conclusion will be that the Resistance remains ready and vigilant, fully prepared to face any Israeli incursion. This readiness means the Resistance still has the element of surprise.
Second, the ambush demonstrates a serious intelligence failure by the enemy. The ambush was planned in advance, which means that Hezbollah has an intelligence apparatus that allowed the party to learn the time of the Israeli patrol’s incursion, and to subsequently prepare an explosive trap within range from two of the largest Israeli border outposts.
As a result, Israel faces even more embarrassing questions: How did Hezbollah learn about the mission? How was it able – and how did it dare – to set up an ambush in this area without being noticed? How did the Resistance succeed in carrying out its operation and withdraw safely?
Third, Tuesday night’s incident has revealed not only the readiness of the Resistance along Lebanon’s southern border, but what could be more serious in the eyes of the enemy, namely, that Hezbollah has resolved to counter any Israeli incursion. In other words, Hezbollah has resolved not only to engage Israeli forces breaching the border, but is prepared for any confrontation, including a full-blown war.
Can Benny Gantz, the Israeli army chief of staff, invoke again today his theory of Nasrallah’s “cloak on fire,” which claims that Hezbollah has its hands tied because of its involvement in the Syrian conflict – where it is allegedly losing dozens of its elite fighters, and over which it is coming under immense pressure both at home and abroad?
Fourth, it appears that Israel has kept a tight lid on the details of the incident, gagging military officials, journalists, and medical staff, and allowing only political officials to speak about the explosion. This could only reflect Israel’s embarrassment and its attempt at damage control.
Indeed, Israel has shot itself in the foot with this incident. After expressing extreme joy for the European Union’s move to designate the Resistance – or what the European fools called the military wing of Hezbollah – as a terror group, what will Lieberman tell EU ambassadors? What will the Europeans themselves say about Israel’s violations? Or will they condemn the Resistance’s ambush because in their own classification Hezbollah is a terrorist organization?
March 14 and the People of South Lebanon
Naturally, none of March 14 leaders will condemn the Israeli violations. They will not go further than issuing meaningless statements that recycle their same old bromides. In fact, it is not far-fetched for those frenzied leaders to complain because entities in Lebanon had violated Resolution 1701, which prohibits the presence of weapons and fighters in UNIFIL’s area of operation.
Only people in the South, who climbed to the roofs of their homes that night to see what was happening, will, on the eve and morning of Eid al-Fitr, remember that while they were staying up after iftar, heroic men slipped silently from amongst them to ensure the integrity of their land and honor, and carry out their duties against an arrogant enemy that never learns from its mistakes. Those men did their job, and returned home before dawn to have the suhur meal with their families, and talk about the celebrations of victory.
Ibrahim al-Amin is editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.
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Commentary: Does anybody remember what Reagan did when the US Marines got blown up in Beirut on October 23rd, 1983? He pulled back US forces from Lebanon (a wise move, by the way) and on October 25th, 1983, just two days later, he ordered an invasion of the tiny island of Grenada as a means to "put some hair back on his chest" (In what was to become one of the worst military operations in the history of warfare, and after having to deploy the 82nd Airborne Division, the US eventually "won"). Well, the Israelis did something similar: after having its "super elite" commando unit detected and defeated by Hezbollah on August 6th, the Israelis put some hair back on their chests by killing 5 Egyptians in a drone strike on August 9th. It appears that these Egyptians militants had built some kind of rocket launcher and that, in a touching example of collaboration, that they were ratted out to the Zionists by, you guessed it, the Egyptian junta. Funny how some things never change...
The Saker
Sunday, August 11, 2013
President of Iraqi Kurdistan ready to defend Kurds in Syria
RT reports:
Masoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, has said that he will use “all capabilities” to defend Kurdish civilians who are under threat by Al-Qaeda-linked fighters involved in the Syrian civil war.
The statement comes days after reports of a possible massacre in Syria.
Barzani said that he wants a committee to be formed to look into reports of violence, and has hinted that the autonomous region of northern Iraq, which has a well-equipped army, would intervene militarily to defend Syrian Kurds.
In a letter which he posted online Saturday on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) website, he said that he told Kurdish representatives to go to Syria and investigate reports that “terrorists of Al-Qaeda are attacking the civilian population and slaughtering innocent Kurdish women and children.”
“If the reports are true, showing that citizens, women and children of innocent Kurds are under threat from murder and terrorism, Iraq’s Kurdistan region will make use of all its capabilities to defend women and children and innocent civilians,” the letter continued.
As well as being posted online Saturday, the letter was sent on Thursday to the preparatory committee for a Kurdish National Conference to be held later this month in Arbil – located in the far north of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The statement referred to the area of Syria where Kurds live as ‘Western Kurdistan.’ The Kurdish people are spread over adjoining parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran, and are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state.
Iraqi Kurds have already sent food, medical supplies, and fuel to their Kurdish brethren in Syria but Barzani’s statement is the first time that intervention has been suggested.
There were unconfirmed reports of a massacre earlier this week, in which 450 Kurds were allegedly murdered by Al-Qaeda-linked rebels. According to IranianTV channel Al-Alam, militants from the Jabat Al-Nusra Front attacked the town of Tal Abyad near the Turkish border on Monday, killing 120 children and 330 women. Neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian opposition has confirmed the report.
However, RT managed to get in contact with Kurdish sources who said that increased fighting had taken place in the area.
“The Al-Nusra militants and other rebel forces surrounded the village. They started going door to door, entering every house. If there were any men they killed them and took the women and children hostage,” said the source.
These latest reports follow a statement last month from the Russian Foreign Ministry that Al-Qaeda-linked extremists were holding 200 Kurdish civilians as hostages. The militants were apparently taking revenge for the capture by the Kurds of rebel leader Abu Musab. Five hundred civilians were initially abducted but some were released in agreement with the Kurds, who also released Musab. Around 200 people are believed to still be the hands of the Jihadists.
“In these areas, there has long been confrontation between the troops of the international extremists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and local Kurdish militias who stood up to protect their homes from attacks by radical Islamists,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a July statement.
The Kurds are the main obstacle to the Islamists declaring a de facto state of their own in the northeast of Syria – an area which Syrian President Bashar Assad has little control over.
Barzani’s comments are further proof of how Syria’s two-year conflict is spilling over into neighboring countries.
The northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan - which already has its own government and armed forces - has also begun to pursue independent energy and foreign policies, which has infuriated the Shi’ite government of Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad. Northern Iraq is the only area of the country which has seen peace and a semblance of stability since American troops left in 2011.
Masoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, has said that he will use “all capabilities” to defend Kurdish civilians who are under threat by Al-Qaeda-linked fighters involved in the Syrian civil war.
The statement comes days after reports of a possible massacre in Syria.
Barzani said that he wants a committee to be formed to look into reports of violence, and has hinted that the autonomous region of northern Iraq, which has a well-equipped army, would intervene militarily to defend Syrian Kurds.
In a letter which he posted online Saturday on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) website, he said that he told Kurdish representatives to go to Syria and investigate reports that “terrorists of Al-Qaeda are attacking the civilian population and slaughtering innocent Kurdish women and children.”
“If the reports are true, showing that citizens, women and children of innocent Kurds are under threat from murder and terrorism, Iraq’s Kurdistan region will make use of all its capabilities to defend women and children and innocent civilians,” the letter continued.
As well as being posted online Saturday, the letter was sent on Thursday to the preparatory committee for a Kurdish National Conference to be held later this month in Arbil – located in the far north of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The statement referred to the area of Syria where Kurds live as ‘Western Kurdistan.’ The Kurdish people are spread over adjoining parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran, and are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state.
Iraqi Kurds have already sent food, medical supplies, and fuel to their Kurdish brethren in Syria but Barzani’s statement is the first time that intervention has been suggested.
There were unconfirmed reports of a massacre earlier this week, in which 450 Kurds were allegedly murdered by Al-Qaeda-linked rebels. According to IranianTV channel Al-Alam, militants from the Jabat Al-Nusra Front attacked the town of Tal Abyad near the Turkish border on Monday, killing 120 children and 330 women. Neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian opposition has confirmed the report.
However, RT managed to get in contact with Kurdish sources who said that increased fighting had taken place in the area.
“The Al-Nusra militants and other rebel forces surrounded the village. They started going door to door, entering every house. If there were any men they killed them and took the women and children hostage,” said the source.
These latest reports follow a statement last month from the Russian Foreign Ministry that Al-Qaeda-linked extremists were holding 200 Kurdish civilians as hostages. The militants were apparently taking revenge for the capture by the Kurds of rebel leader Abu Musab. Five hundred civilians were initially abducted but some were released in agreement with the Kurds, who also released Musab. Around 200 people are believed to still be the hands of the Jihadists.
“In these areas, there has long been confrontation between the troops of the international extremists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and local Kurdish militias who stood up to protect their homes from attacks by radical Islamists,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a July statement.
The Kurds are the main obstacle to the Islamists declaring a de facto state of their own in the northeast of Syria – an area which Syrian President Bashar Assad has little control over.
Barzani’s comments are further proof of how Syria’s two-year conflict is spilling over into neighboring countries.
The northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan - which already has its own government and armed forces - has also begun to pursue independent energy and foreign policies, which has infuriated the Shi’ite government of Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad. Northern Iraq is the only area of the country which has seen peace and a semblance of stability since American troops left in 2011.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Could the latest 2+2 meeting finally yield some tangible results? Maybe.
I just watched the short press conference given today in Washington DC by U.S. Secretary of State Kerry, Secretary of Defense Hagel, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and I wondered what could come of that meeting. The good news is that all of these men are experienced and smart politicians (compared to Hillary Kerry is simply a genius). Furthermore, I doubt that these four would have agreed to sit down and negotiate together in such a powerful format (2+2) if there was clearly nothing to negotiate to begin with. After all, these are all really powerful and busy folks and not politicians running in some silly campaign. So the fact that they got together is, in itself, definitely a positive and encouraging sign.
The bad news is that that accursed US Congress and the various lobbies running it (Israel of course, but also quite a few others) have truly outdone themselves in trying to vitiate the atmosphere between Russia and the US. Senile imbeciles like McCain or Bolton have basically convinced a good chunk of the US public opinion and press that any deal with Russia, no matter its scope or nature, is a sign of weakness if not an outright surrender to "that evil KGB agent Putin". All the US hysterics about Snowden really only make sense in this context as in a normal non-ideological pragmatic world the entire Snowden saga would be "page 3 news" and not something to be discussed at a Ministerial or Presidential level.
Obama, Kerry and Hagel understand all that, but they are still willing to sit down with Lavrov and Hegel and this, I think, could indicate one of two things: either they are willing to press ahead regardless of the russophobic hysteria of the Republicans and Neocons, or they are looking for some kind of secret deal which both sides could deny.
Let me say immediately here that I am quite confident that the recent trip to Moscow by the Saudi intelligence Chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan was a complete failure. Bandar tried to buy off Putin and it failed. Predictable as this move was, I cannot blame the Saudis or the Americans for at least trying. And, at least, the Americans got their Saudi poodle to present this humiliating offer on their behalf. But now that this Kindergarten-level "diplomacy" is over, the real stuff must be tackled.
What is unclear to me is whether Putin at this moment in time feels powerful enough to being tightening some screws on the Americans or not. What kind of screws? Well, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is one option, but there are others. The big unknown here is whether the covert anti-Putin opposition inside the Kremlin - what I refer to as the "Atlantic Integrationists" - and their allies in the West (big banking and NWO organizations) have been weakened enough for Putin to overtly put pressure on the USA. Personally, I would not wager on that yet. The good news here is that both Lavrov and Shoigu are 100% "Putinists" - what I refer to as "Eurasian sovereignists" - so they will fully support Putin's political stance.
And then there was this secret letter exchange between Obama and Putin. Clearly, and even though the two man obviously hate each other, something of substance was discussed.
If I had to guess I would say that something is likely to come out of these negotiations. Maybe a more or less symbolic and public deal combined with a second, and more substantial but secret and deniable deal. What could that deal include?
Maybe that the US would refrain from any over the board actions in Syria in exchange for a Russia tacit support for a US withdrawal from Afghanistan? Such a deal or, better, such an understanding could be easily denied by both parties (thus keeping the crazy Republicans at bay) while being to the advantage of everybody.
Do I sound too optimistic?
Well, let me ask you this: do you believe that the people who put Obama in power really want to overthrow Assad? No, I am not talking about a bellicose bitch like Hillary (who "was resigned" and replaced by Kerry). I am talking about the deep "old Anglo guard" which is the real power which selected Obama as President. The Kissingers, the Bakers, the Rockefellers, the Bushes. etc. All the folks who regardless of ethnicity or official party affiliation care much more about their American wealth than about the Likudniks in Israel. Do they want Assad out?
Consider this: by now it is pretty darn clear to all that should the so-called "Syrian" (which it ain't) insurgency win, an al-Qaeda regime would come to power in Syria and that would be really bad news, no not for Russia or China, but for the USA. Even the CIA says so. And why would the US want to replace Assad who did such an excellent job torturing rendered CIA detainees for Uncle Sam anyway?
Sure, the Ziolobby wants wars everywhere. In Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Somalia, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Iran and, of course, Syria. And if the Ziolobby get's its way, no amount of 2+2 negotiations between Russia and the US will ever yield any result. But the fact is that the Ziolobby does not control the White House at this time (if it did an attack on Iran would already have happened a while ago).
Now, of course, no US politician would ever commit the mother of all heresies and admit that the US and Israel might have different interests. Hagel tried, a long time ago, and he paid hell for it. So this is why Obama cannot openly step on the breaks with this war in Syria. Officially, the US and its moronic EU allies are "in" to the hilt, such are the requirements of their ideology. But I bet you that in their private deliberations they realize that the war on Syria looks much less than the war against Libya and much more like the war in Iraq, or even worse, the war in Somalia.
The absolutely undeniable fact remains that the plutocratic and imperialistic West is far better off dealing with a known and rational actor like Assad than with some al-Nusra version of Mullah Omar. This, in turn, tells me that Washington might be better off letting the Russians "win" Syria then trying to overthrow Assad at all costs - assuming that it could do that, which I don't believe. The facts on the ground seem to indicate that it is not Russia that "won" in Syria as much as it is the Syrian military which has created on the ground the conditions needed to convince the more rational part of the US power elites that now is the time to slowly and carefully walk away from this mess.
Just to make this clear: I know that this one is far from over and there is a good chance the the "crazies" in the USA will prevail and make any deal with Russia impossible. And if, God forbid, the Hillary-types ever come back to power (I hear that she is probably going to run for President again!!), then all bets are off - and the bloodbath will resume at an even bigger scale. My hope is that the rational folks in the US will manage to prevail against the "crazies" and allow an outcome which is really to everybody's advantage.
Do such rational people exist in the US power elites? Absolutely. Let me give you a little known but quite amazing example.
Several Russian sources, including Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin himself, have confirmed that when Georgia attacked South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers on 08.08.08 there had been an initial move of US military forces to provide direct military help, possibly including cruise missile strikes, to their Georgian allies. What happened then is crucial: Russian military commanders directly contacted their US colleagues and told them in no uncertain terms that the US should stay out of this one or face a Russian military response. Rogozin himself told the same thing to the NATO military commander in Brussels. Basically, Russia threatened the US with war if the Americans directly intervened. And the Americans backed down and withdrew. No, not because the Americans are cowards or because they thought Russia would win - no, they did so simply because to persist was not worth the risk. In 08.08.08 Russia simply could not back down: its soldiers had been attacked and killed and its vital security interests were involved. In contrast, no vital or even important US national interest was affected by this war. Needless to say, the likes of McCain, Bolton or Hillary are simply unable to think in such rational, pragmatic, political terms. But even if, say, the "crazies" were in full control of the White House, there would still be the formidable power of the Joint Chiefs who would veto any irresponsible decision by a crazy President (at least so far, this seems to have been the case).
All this is to say that there are rational people in the US power elites and that, at least as far as I know, Kerry and Hegel are much closer to such pragmatists than loonies like Hillary or McCain.
To be an optimist, even a cautious one, is always a bad bet in international affairs. Nor is it my natural inclination. But I do want to believe that bringing such top quality people like Kerry, Hegel, Lavrov and Shoigu together is not done just to agree on nothing. Nor is such an exercise needed when the agreement is easy and obvious. No, you bring folks like that together when you want to get something tricky but very important done, when you want to make darn sure that all parties understand and agree to the terms of the understanding.
We will soon know. Chances are I will be making my mea culpa here in just a few days. But until then I will try to force myself to hope that the bloodbath in Syria can be gradually reduced.
One more thing: the negotiations over the US missile "defense" program (which should really be called the "US first strike enabling program") are going nowhere. Even though Obama & Co. fully realize that this is just a handout to the US military-industrial complex, and that this program will do nothing to protect the USA or Europe, they will stubbornly stick to it. First, this is an easy way to show McCain and the other "crazies" how "tough" the Democrats can be on Russia, but even more fundamentally this is a typical Obama move: his entire Presidency has been centered on giving billions of dollars to the banks, Big Pharma, the military-industrial complex, etc. As for the Russians, they will not like it, but they can easily defeat its purpose by a few well chosen asymmetrical measures. Everything is possible, I suppose, but I don't see any agreement between the two sides on this one.
Does anybody else want to hazard a guess on what will come out from these 2+2 talk?
The Saker
The bad news is that that accursed US Congress and the various lobbies running it (Israel of course, but also quite a few others) have truly outdone themselves in trying to vitiate the atmosphere between Russia and the US. Senile imbeciles like McCain or Bolton have basically convinced a good chunk of the US public opinion and press that any deal with Russia, no matter its scope or nature, is a sign of weakness if not an outright surrender to "that evil KGB agent Putin". All the US hysterics about Snowden really only make sense in this context as in a normal non-ideological pragmatic world the entire Snowden saga would be "page 3 news" and not something to be discussed at a Ministerial or Presidential level.
Obama, Kerry and Hagel understand all that, but they are still willing to sit down with Lavrov and Hegel and this, I think, could indicate one of two things: either they are willing to press ahead regardless of the russophobic hysteria of the Republicans and Neocons, or they are looking for some kind of secret deal which both sides could deny.
Let me say immediately here that I am quite confident that the recent trip to Moscow by the Saudi intelligence Chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan was a complete failure. Bandar tried to buy off Putin and it failed. Predictable as this move was, I cannot blame the Saudis or the Americans for at least trying. And, at least, the Americans got their Saudi poodle to present this humiliating offer on their behalf. But now that this Kindergarten-level "diplomacy" is over, the real stuff must be tackled.
What is unclear to me is whether Putin at this moment in time feels powerful enough to being tightening some screws on the Americans or not. What kind of screws? Well, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is one option, but there are others. The big unknown here is whether the covert anti-Putin opposition inside the Kremlin - what I refer to as the "Atlantic Integrationists" - and their allies in the West (big banking and NWO organizations) have been weakened enough for Putin to overtly put pressure on the USA. Personally, I would not wager on that yet. The good news here is that both Lavrov and Shoigu are 100% "Putinists" - what I refer to as "Eurasian sovereignists" - so they will fully support Putin's political stance.
And then there was this secret letter exchange between Obama and Putin. Clearly, and even though the two man obviously hate each other, something of substance was discussed.
If I had to guess I would say that something is likely to come out of these negotiations. Maybe a more or less symbolic and public deal combined with a second, and more substantial but secret and deniable deal. What could that deal include?
Maybe that the US would refrain from any over the board actions in Syria in exchange for a Russia tacit support for a US withdrawal from Afghanistan? Such a deal or, better, such an understanding could be easily denied by both parties (thus keeping the crazy Republicans at bay) while being to the advantage of everybody.
Do I sound too optimistic?
Well, let me ask you this: do you believe that the people who put Obama in power really want to overthrow Assad? No, I am not talking about a bellicose bitch like Hillary (who "was resigned" and replaced by Kerry). I am talking about the deep "old Anglo guard" which is the real power which selected Obama as President. The Kissingers, the Bakers, the Rockefellers, the Bushes. etc. All the folks who regardless of ethnicity or official party affiliation care much more about their American wealth than about the Likudniks in Israel. Do they want Assad out?
Consider this: by now it is pretty darn clear to all that should the so-called "Syrian" (which it ain't) insurgency win, an al-Qaeda regime would come to power in Syria and that would be really bad news, no not for Russia or China, but for the USA. Even the CIA says so. And why would the US want to replace Assad who did such an excellent job torturing rendered CIA detainees for Uncle Sam anyway?
Sure, the Ziolobby wants wars everywhere. In Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Somalia, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Iran and, of course, Syria. And if the Ziolobby get's its way, no amount of 2+2 negotiations between Russia and the US will ever yield any result. But the fact is that the Ziolobby does not control the White House at this time (if it did an attack on Iran would already have happened a while ago).
Now, of course, no US politician would ever commit the mother of all heresies and admit that the US and Israel might have different interests. Hagel tried, a long time ago, and he paid hell for it. So this is why Obama cannot openly step on the breaks with this war in Syria. Officially, the US and its moronic EU allies are "in" to the hilt, such are the requirements of their ideology. But I bet you that in their private deliberations they realize that the war on Syria looks much less than the war against Libya and much more like the war in Iraq, or even worse, the war in Somalia.
The absolutely undeniable fact remains that the plutocratic and imperialistic West is far better off dealing with a known and rational actor like Assad than with some al-Nusra version of Mullah Omar. This, in turn, tells me that Washington might be better off letting the Russians "win" Syria then trying to overthrow Assad at all costs - assuming that it could do that, which I don't believe. The facts on the ground seem to indicate that it is not Russia that "won" in Syria as much as it is the Syrian military which has created on the ground the conditions needed to convince the more rational part of the US power elites that now is the time to slowly and carefully walk away from this mess.
Just to make this clear: I know that this one is far from over and there is a good chance the the "crazies" in the USA will prevail and make any deal with Russia impossible. And if, God forbid, the Hillary-types ever come back to power (I hear that she is probably going to run for President again!!), then all bets are off - and the bloodbath will resume at an even bigger scale. My hope is that the rational folks in the US will manage to prevail against the "crazies" and allow an outcome which is really to everybody's advantage.
Do such rational people exist in the US power elites? Absolutely. Let me give you a little known but quite amazing example.
Several Russian sources, including Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin himself, have confirmed that when Georgia attacked South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers on 08.08.08 there had been an initial move of US military forces to provide direct military help, possibly including cruise missile strikes, to their Georgian allies. What happened then is crucial: Russian military commanders directly contacted their US colleagues and told them in no uncertain terms that the US should stay out of this one or face a Russian military response. Rogozin himself told the same thing to the NATO military commander in Brussels. Basically, Russia threatened the US with war if the Americans directly intervened. And the Americans backed down and withdrew. No, not because the Americans are cowards or because they thought Russia would win - no, they did so simply because to persist was not worth the risk. In 08.08.08 Russia simply could not back down: its soldiers had been attacked and killed and its vital security interests were involved. In contrast, no vital or even important US national interest was affected by this war. Needless to say, the likes of McCain, Bolton or Hillary are simply unable to think in such rational, pragmatic, political terms. But even if, say, the "crazies" were in full control of the White House, there would still be the formidable power of the Joint Chiefs who would veto any irresponsible decision by a crazy President (at least so far, this seems to have been the case).
All this is to say that there are rational people in the US power elites and that, at least as far as I know, Kerry and Hegel are much closer to such pragmatists than loonies like Hillary or McCain.
To be an optimist, even a cautious one, is always a bad bet in international affairs. Nor is it my natural inclination. But I do want to believe that bringing such top quality people like Kerry, Hegel, Lavrov and Shoigu together is not done just to agree on nothing. Nor is such an exercise needed when the agreement is easy and obvious. No, you bring folks like that together when you want to get something tricky but very important done, when you want to make darn sure that all parties understand and agree to the terms of the understanding.
We will soon know. Chances are I will be making my mea culpa here in just a few days. But until then I will try to force myself to hope that the bloodbath in Syria can be gradually reduced.
One more thing: the negotiations over the US missile "defense" program (which should really be called the "US first strike enabling program") are going nowhere. Even though Obama & Co. fully realize that this is just a handout to the US military-industrial complex, and that this program will do nothing to protect the USA or Europe, they will stubbornly stick to it. First, this is an easy way to show McCain and the other "crazies" how "tough" the Democrats can be on Russia, but even more fundamentally this is a typical Obama move: his entire Presidency has been centered on giving billions of dollars to the banks, Big Pharma, the military-industrial complex, etc. As for the Russians, they will not like it, but they can easily defeat its purpose by a few well chosen asymmetrical measures. Everything is possible, I suppose, but I don't see any agreement between the two sides on this one.
Does anybody else want to hazard a guess on what will come out from these 2+2 talk?
The Saker
Friday, August 9, 2013
Vlad the Hammer vs Obama the Wimp
By Pepe Escobar for the Asia Times
This is getting ridiculous. The President of the United States (POTUS) screamed and shouted because he wanted his spy (Edward Snowden) back. Snowden, following Russian laws, was granted temporary asylum. The White House was "disappointed".
Then POTUS snubbed the bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow coinciding with the Group of 20 in St Petersburg in early September. The Kremlin was equally "disappointed".
Putin sent a telegram to George "Dubya" Bush - wishing him a quick recovery from heart surgery. [1] POTUS went to a US talk show and said Russia tended to "slip back into Cold War thinking and a Cold War mentality."
Brechtian distancing tells us that "ridiculous" does not even begin to describe it. The Cold War mentality is actually impregnated in the Beltway genes - from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon. As for POTUS, he acted like a diplomatic dilettante at best. "Yes, We Can" has morphed into "Yes, We Scan"; and now it's "Yes, We Scorn". This may apply to assorted poodles of European breeding, but it won't stick to Vlad the Hammer.
The White House justified its decision by "lack of progress" on everything including missile defense, arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, human rights and civil society. Nonsense; this was all about an impotent POTUS prevented from prosecuting his war against whistleblowers. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yury Ushakov, was closer to the truth when he said, "The US is not ready to build relations on an equal basis."
Vlad the Hammer can sense a wimp of Carter-esque proportions like a polar bear hunting a seal. He quickly evaluated how the Obama administration turned its already shaky credibility to ashes on two simultaneous fronts; because of the scale of the Orwellian/Panopticon complex detailed by Snowden's leaks, and because of the way he was being mercilessly hunted.
Adding a few more nails in the coffin of mainstream media, the New York Times posted an editorial - arguably "suggested" by the White House - justifying the cancelation of the summit, saying, "Mr Putin is a repressive and arrogant leader who treats his people with contempt." [2] Right; and Snow White lives in the White House.
All aboard the Trans-Siberian
POTUS's adolescent tantrum has nothing to do with Cold War. For starters, the US and Russia are mutually dependent on a vast array of issues. At least in theory, some adults will be discussing them in Washington this weekend, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Pentagon head Chuck Hagel.
Vlad just needs to say the word to turn the already humiliating US/NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan - as in having their asses kicked by a bunch of Pashtuns with fake Kalashnikovs - into a cataclysmic disaster.
Vlad can subtly calibrate Russia's support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria - especially after Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar "Bush" bin Sultan paid him a visit in Moscow and allegedly offered to buy loads of Russian weapons as long as Russia backed off. [3] Putin was not impressed. Still, Bandar would not have done that without "consulting" with his US masters.
Vlad can offer plenty of extra diplomatic support for the new Rouhani presidency in Iran - including, crucially, new weapons sales, and solidify Tehran's position in possible negotiations with Washington.
In the Caucasus, Vlad is on a roll. Georgia is way less antagonistic towards Moscow. And in Pipelineistan, Russia influenced Azerbaijan's decision to privilege the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) over the perennially doomed Nabucco West, and immediately moved to solidify energy cooperation between Azerbaijan's SOCAR and Russia's Rosneft. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan are considered as proverbial "staunch" US allies.
In Europe, every cruise ship pilot on the Rhine knows about Russia's strategic partnership with Germany. On negotiations on natural gas deals with Italy, France or Poland, for instance, the name of the Russian game is to secure long-term contracts with plenty of price breaks and tax schemes.
In Central and Eastern Europe Vlad is also - what else - on a roll, with Russia buying scores of strategic manufacturing, chemical and transport assets.
Then there's the crucial Trans-Siberian gambit. I did the Trans-Siberian twice, in winter, in the early 1990s and then in the late 1990s; it's one hell of a trip. At the time it was mostly about impoverished Russians buying everything in sight in China and wily Chinese selling everything they could in Russia. Nowadays it's all about heavy cargo. The Trans-Siberian moves no less than 120 million tons of cargo a year - and counting; that's at least 13% of container trade between Europe and Asia. Russia is investing in a US$17 billion expansion and adding 55 million extra tons of cargo capacity.
Add to it tripling the capacity of Russia's Pacific coast terminals by 2020; the expansion of St Petersburg's port; Siemens supplying 675 extra cargo electric locomotives as part of a $3.2 billion deal.
The name of the game here is Russia increasing its export of raw commodities by all means available. At least 250,000 barrels of oil a day - and counting - move from Russia to Asia. The upgraded Trans-Siberian will do wonders for Europe-Asia trade. Via the Trans-Siberian, Asian products reach Europe in 10 days; by sea, from South Korea or Japan, it's at least 28 days to Germany. No wonder Japan and South Korea are huge Trans-Siberian fans. And from a European point of view, nothing beats the cheaper, faster Trans-Siberian way to Asia.
Ain't got a clue
Cold War? That's part of the nostalgia business. With a comatose Europe; multiple frictions between Europe and the US; Beijing looking inward trying to solve the puzzle of tweaking its development model; and a paralyzed Obama administration, Moscow has identified the perfect opening and has embarked in no holds-barred, strategic commercial expansion.
The cluelessness of the Obama administration - not to mention US Think Tankland - cannot be overemphasized. Nobody in the Beltway has articulated a sound Russian policy - apart from demonizing Putin. That suits Vlad the Hammer fine; he's busy carefully constructing a new strategic reality not only in Europe's periphery but at the core as well. Russia is back - with a bang.
In this larger scheme of things, drifting towards a post-Post Cold War environment, the Snowden affair is just a piece of the puzzle. And here's where the personal perfectly mirrors the political. Vlad the Hammer knows exactly what he's doing - while Obama the wimp looks like a deer caught in a Trans-Siberian locomotive's headlights.
-------
Notes:
1. In wishing Bush well, Putin has message for Obama, Reuters, August 8, 2013.
2. What's the Point of a Summit?, The New York Times, August 7, 2013.
3. Saudi offers Russia deal to scale back Assad support - sources, Reuters, August 7, 2013.
Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War (Nimble Books, 2007) and Red Zone Blues: a snapshot of Baghdad during the surge. He has also written Obama does Globalistan (Nimble Books, 2009).
He may be reached at pepeasia@yahoo.com.
Make a plan; then make another plan. Both won't work.
- Bertolt Brecht
- Bertolt Brecht
This is getting ridiculous. The President of the United States (POTUS) screamed and shouted because he wanted his spy (Edward Snowden) back. Snowden, following Russian laws, was granted temporary asylum. The White House was "disappointed".
Then POTUS snubbed the bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow coinciding with the Group of 20 in St Petersburg in early September. The Kremlin was equally "disappointed".
Putin sent a telegram to George "Dubya" Bush - wishing him a quick recovery from heart surgery. [1] POTUS went to a US talk show and said Russia tended to "slip back into Cold War thinking and a Cold War mentality."
Brechtian distancing tells us that "ridiculous" does not even begin to describe it. The Cold War mentality is actually impregnated in the Beltway genes - from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon. As for POTUS, he acted like a diplomatic dilettante at best. "Yes, We Can" has morphed into "Yes, We Scan"; and now it's "Yes, We Scorn". This may apply to assorted poodles of European breeding, but it won't stick to Vlad the Hammer.
The White House justified its decision by "lack of progress" on everything including missile defense, arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, human rights and civil society. Nonsense; this was all about an impotent POTUS prevented from prosecuting his war against whistleblowers. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yury Ushakov, was closer to the truth when he said, "The US is not ready to build relations on an equal basis."
Vlad the Hammer can sense a wimp of Carter-esque proportions like a polar bear hunting a seal. He quickly evaluated how the Obama administration turned its already shaky credibility to ashes on two simultaneous fronts; because of the scale of the Orwellian/Panopticon complex detailed by Snowden's leaks, and because of the way he was being mercilessly hunted.
Adding a few more nails in the coffin of mainstream media, the New York Times posted an editorial - arguably "suggested" by the White House - justifying the cancelation of the summit, saying, "Mr Putin is a repressive and arrogant leader who treats his people with contempt." [2] Right; and Snow White lives in the White House.
All aboard the Trans-Siberian
POTUS's adolescent tantrum has nothing to do with Cold War. For starters, the US and Russia are mutually dependent on a vast array of issues. At least in theory, some adults will be discussing them in Washington this weekend, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Pentagon head Chuck Hagel.
Vlad just needs to say the word to turn the already humiliating US/NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan - as in having their asses kicked by a bunch of Pashtuns with fake Kalashnikovs - into a cataclysmic disaster.
Vlad can subtly calibrate Russia's support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria - especially after Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar "Bush" bin Sultan paid him a visit in Moscow and allegedly offered to buy loads of Russian weapons as long as Russia backed off. [3] Putin was not impressed. Still, Bandar would not have done that without "consulting" with his US masters.
Vlad can offer plenty of extra diplomatic support for the new Rouhani presidency in Iran - including, crucially, new weapons sales, and solidify Tehran's position in possible negotiations with Washington.
In the Caucasus, Vlad is on a roll. Georgia is way less antagonistic towards Moscow. And in Pipelineistan, Russia influenced Azerbaijan's decision to privilege the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) over the perennially doomed Nabucco West, and immediately moved to solidify energy cooperation between Azerbaijan's SOCAR and Russia's Rosneft. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan are considered as proverbial "staunch" US allies.
In Europe, every cruise ship pilot on the Rhine knows about Russia's strategic partnership with Germany. On negotiations on natural gas deals with Italy, France or Poland, for instance, the name of the Russian game is to secure long-term contracts with plenty of price breaks and tax schemes.
In Central and Eastern Europe Vlad is also - what else - on a roll, with Russia buying scores of strategic manufacturing, chemical and transport assets.
Then there's the crucial Trans-Siberian gambit. I did the Trans-Siberian twice, in winter, in the early 1990s and then in the late 1990s; it's one hell of a trip. At the time it was mostly about impoverished Russians buying everything in sight in China and wily Chinese selling everything they could in Russia. Nowadays it's all about heavy cargo. The Trans-Siberian moves no less than 120 million tons of cargo a year - and counting; that's at least 13% of container trade between Europe and Asia. Russia is investing in a US$17 billion expansion and adding 55 million extra tons of cargo capacity.
Add to it tripling the capacity of Russia's Pacific coast terminals by 2020; the expansion of St Petersburg's port; Siemens supplying 675 extra cargo electric locomotives as part of a $3.2 billion deal.
The name of the game here is Russia increasing its export of raw commodities by all means available. At least 250,000 barrels of oil a day - and counting - move from Russia to Asia. The upgraded Trans-Siberian will do wonders for Europe-Asia trade. Via the Trans-Siberian, Asian products reach Europe in 10 days; by sea, from South Korea or Japan, it's at least 28 days to Germany. No wonder Japan and South Korea are huge Trans-Siberian fans. And from a European point of view, nothing beats the cheaper, faster Trans-Siberian way to Asia.
Ain't got a clue
Cold War? That's part of the nostalgia business. With a comatose Europe; multiple frictions between Europe and the US; Beijing looking inward trying to solve the puzzle of tweaking its development model; and a paralyzed Obama administration, Moscow has identified the perfect opening and has embarked in no holds-barred, strategic commercial expansion.
The cluelessness of the Obama administration - not to mention US Think Tankland - cannot be overemphasized. Nobody in the Beltway has articulated a sound Russian policy - apart from demonizing Putin. That suits Vlad the Hammer fine; he's busy carefully constructing a new strategic reality not only in Europe's periphery but at the core as well. Russia is back - with a bang.
In this larger scheme of things, drifting towards a post-Post Cold War environment, the Snowden affair is just a piece of the puzzle. And here's where the personal perfectly mirrors the political. Vlad the Hammer knows exactly what he's doing - while Obama the wimp looks like a deer caught in a Trans-Siberian locomotive's headlights.
-------
Notes:
1. In wishing Bush well, Putin has message for Obama, Reuters, August 8, 2013.
2. What's the Point of a Summit?, The New York Times, August 7, 2013.
3. Saudi offers Russia deal to scale back Assad support - sources, Reuters, August 7, 2013.
Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War (Nimble Books, 2007) and Red Zone Blues: a snapshot of Baghdad during the surge. He has also written Obama does Globalistan (Nimble Books, 2009).
He may be reached at pepeasia@yahoo.com.
Stephanie Banister - the posterchild for Australia's Islam-haters (must see!)
Oh man, this is priceless! Just listen to what this wannabe Sarah Palin has to say about Islam:
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The homos want to boycott Russian vodka? Here are a few personal tips on how to best enjoy it!
I just saw an RT report about how the homo-lobby in the West is calling for a boycott of the Olympic games in Sochi and a boycott of Russian vodka. The footage in the report showed a cute slogan which the homos were promoting: "no Sochi, no Stoli". Now I don't have anything to say about Sochi or the Olympics, but I will say this: Stoli aka "Stolichnaya" is not a particularly good Russian vodka, and there might be purely gastronomical reasons to avoid it.
The main reason for the fame of Stoli is that in the middle of the Cold War the Pepsi company signed an agreement with the Soviet government to import Stoli in the USA (and export Pepsi to the USSR). So in the USA Stoli was "THE" Russian vodka. Happily, the Cold War is over (yeah, I know, Uncle Sam is trying hard to re-start it) and now Americans have much, much better options. So let me share some of them with you.
First you need to know that all vodka is is pure alcohol and water. Sounds basic, no? Not really, because how pure the alcohol and, especially, the water are makes a huge difference. Just like a top quality Scotch whisky like The Glenlivet is entirely dependent on the quality of the water of the one stream were Glenlivet takes its water, so does the taste of vodka also almost fully depend on the water it is made with. It appears that seemingly tiny differences in the chemical qualities of various types of water result in big differences in taste. Top of the line vodkas are therefore distilled and purified several times in proprietary processes which the manufacturers try to protect. I will not try to explain it all here - there are entire books about this - but I will say this: don't be fooled by the "only alcohol and water" argument as vodkas come in a huge spectrum of quality ranging from the absolutely vile and disgusting "throat burners" to the top of the line products like these:
First, there are the vodkas of the Russian Standard or "Русский Стандарт" official lineup:
1) base version: Russian Standard Original
2) improved version: Russian Standard Platinum
3) superior version: Russian Standard Gold
4) exclusive version: Russian Standard Imperia
Now the sales of liquors is no more than 50% taste and the rest is product positioning. This is also very true for vodka. So I will spare you the technical differences and directly go to the bottom line: Russian Standard Original is an amazingly good vodka (infinitely superior to Stoli) which you can get at a very reasonable price. Unless you are a vodka cognoscente, I would stick with this one. If you are willing to pay more for the really good stuff, then definitely try the Russian Standard Platinum which is very perceptibly superior to the Standard version. But I would skip the Gold and Imperia versions which, while very good, do not strike me as significantly better than the Platinum (honestly, I am not sure that I could tell the Platinum and the Imperia apart).
Second, the other top of the line vodka producer is the Moscow Crystall Distillery. This company has a big selection of vodkas but one of them really shines: the Youri Dolgoruki or "Юрий Долгорукий" vodka. Named after the 12th century founder of Moscow, this vodka is at least as good, if not slightly superior, to the best Russian Standard versions. Alas, it is harder to find, at least in the USA, but if you do see it somewhere - grab it, you will not regret it.
There are, of course, plenty of other good vodkas out there, including quite a few from the Crystall Distillery, but these two (the Russian Standard Platinum and the Youri Dolgoruki) are, in my opinion, the best ones out there, and both can be obtained without paying an exorbitant price.
And while I am on the subject of vodka, allow me to share a few tips on how to drink vodka.
You will hear experts telling you that it is wrong to drink vodka ice cold, that it should be cool or even at room temperature. Nonsense! Don't trust them. Your bottle of vodka must absolutely spend the night in the freezer and should come out "steaming cold".
The best way to drink it is in a small shot glass called riumka (рюмка) in Russian. Nothing fancy at all, a basic simple shot glass like the one shown here is fine.
If you want, you can also use a more elegant glass like the second one shown here.
One thing you should absolutely avoid is to drink vodka from a regular glass. This is a vulgar Soviet-era habit which is the sad expression of a time when vodka was used simply as a source of alcohol simply to get trashed and not as a refined way of enjoying foods. Foods? Yes, absolutely.
The best way to enjoy vodka is definitely with food.
What kind of food?
There are many options here. In fact, most foods do benefit from being preceded by a shot of top quality ice-cold vodka. How? Nobody really knows, but it is a fact that our senses of taste and smell seem to be enhanced by a small shot of vodka. This is just a short list of what can be enjoyed with vodka:
Smoked salmon, crabs, pickles, mushrooms, baked appetizers (with meat or cabbage), black bread, salmon roe, black caviar, hot and cold soups, green onions, smoked herrings, backed potatoes with sour cream, hams, smoked sausages, etc. etc. etc. To get a feel for the possibilities, just go to google images and copy and paste the following two terms in the seachbar: закуски водка .
My personal favorite is the very basic combination of the Russian black bread, some chopped green onions, a few pickles and maybe a few marinated mushrooms. Simple stuff yes, but all these products must be 100% organic, top quality and homemade (for the mushrooms). Not the GMO and chemicals laced canned foods we are fed by corporations.
One more advice: do not waste any good vodka on cocktails. If you like Screwdrivers or Bloody-Marys use Stoli or even something cheaper.
Anyway, if the homo-lobby wants to boycott Russian vodka I would suggest that drinking it becomes a deliciously politically incorrect crimethink which, if your religion permits it, should be committed and encouraged. And, as everything else in life, this sampling of vodka should be done with taste, with moderation, and only with the best products possible.
Enjoy!
The Saker
PS: one more thing - don't drink too much vodka, or you might start feeling like this: :-)
The main reason for the fame of Stoli is that in the middle of the Cold War the Pepsi company signed an agreement with the Soviet government to import Stoli in the USA (and export Pepsi to the USSR). So in the USA Stoli was "THE" Russian vodka. Happily, the Cold War is over (yeah, I know, Uncle Sam is trying hard to re-start it) and now Americans have much, much better options. So let me share some of them with you.
First you need to know that all vodka is is pure alcohol and water. Sounds basic, no? Not really, because how pure the alcohol and, especially, the water are makes a huge difference. Just like a top quality Scotch whisky like The Glenlivet is entirely dependent on the quality of the water of the one stream were Glenlivet takes its water, so does the taste of vodka also almost fully depend on the water it is made with. It appears that seemingly tiny differences in the chemical qualities of various types of water result in big differences in taste. Top of the line vodkas are therefore distilled and purified several times in proprietary processes which the manufacturers try to protect. I will not try to explain it all here - there are entire books about this - but I will say this: don't be fooled by the "only alcohol and water" argument as vodkas come in a huge spectrum of quality ranging from the absolutely vile and disgusting "throat burners" to the top of the line products like these:
1) base version: Russian Standard Original
2) improved version: Russian Standard Platinum
3) superior version: Russian Standard Gold
4) exclusive version: Russian Standard Imperia
Now the sales of liquors is no more than 50% taste and the rest is product positioning. This is also very true for vodka. So I will spare you the technical differences and directly go to the bottom line: Russian Standard Original is an amazingly good vodka (infinitely superior to Stoli) which you can get at a very reasonable price. Unless you are a vodka cognoscente, I would stick with this one. If you are willing to pay more for the really good stuff, then definitely try the Russian Standard Platinum which is very perceptibly superior to the Standard version. But I would skip the Gold and Imperia versions which, while very good, do not strike me as significantly better than the Platinum (honestly, I am not sure that I could tell the Platinum and the Imperia apart).
There are, of course, plenty of other good vodkas out there, including quite a few from the Crystall Distillery, but these two (the Russian Standard Platinum and the Youri Dolgoruki) are, in my opinion, the best ones out there, and both can be obtained without paying an exorbitant price.
And while I am on the subject of vodka, allow me to share a few tips on how to drink vodka.
You will hear experts telling you that it is wrong to drink vodka ice cold, that it should be cool or even at room temperature. Nonsense! Don't trust them. Your bottle of vodka must absolutely spend the night in the freezer and should come out "steaming cold".
The best way to drink it is in a small shot glass called riumka (рюмка) in Russian. Nothing fancy at all, a basic simple shot glass like the one shown here is fine.If you want, you can also use a more elegant glass like the second one shown here.
The best way to enjoy vodka is definitely with food.
What kind of food?
There are many options here. In fact, most foods do benefit from being preceded by a shot of top quality ice-cold vodka. How? Nobody really knows, but it is a fact that our senses of taste and smell seem to be enhanced by a small shot of vodka. This is just a short list of what can be enjoyed with vodka:
Smoked salmon, crabs, pickles, mushrooms, baked appetizers (with meat or cabbage), black bread, salmon roe, black caviar, hot and cold soups, green onions, smoked herrings, backed potatoes with sour cream, hams, smoked sausages, etc. etc. etc. To get a feel for the possibilities, just go to google images and copy and paste the following two terms in the seachbar: закуски водка .
My personal favorite is the very basic combination of the Russian black bread, some chopped green onions, a few pickles and maybe a few marinated mushrooms. Simple stuff yes, but all these products must be 100% organic, top quality and homemade (for the mushrooms). Not the GMO and chemicals laced canned foods we are fed by corporations.
One more advice: do not waste any good vodka on cocktails. If you like Screwdrivers or Bloody-Marys use Stoli or even something cheaper.
Anyway, if the homo-lobby wants to boycott Russian vodka I would suggest that drinking it becomes a deliciously politically incorrect crimethink which, if your religion permits it, should be committed and encouraged. And, as everything else in life, this sampling of vodka should be done with taste, with moderation, and only with the best products possible.
Enjoy!
The Saker
PS: one more thing - don't drink too much vodka, or you might start feeling like this: :-)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
An open letter from Roger Waters
There has been some comment on the Internet about the Wall Show in Belgium to which I feel I should respond.
One Alon Onfus Asif, an Israeli living in Belgium, came to The Wall show in Belgium last week and being an observant sort of chap Alon noticed a Star of David on the Pig that is destroyed by the audience at the end of the show. Then Alon dutifully videoed our Pig on his phone, posted this video, and alerted Israeli Daily, Yediot Ahronot. This story was duly picked up by the ever watchful Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the entirely predictable resulting rant is attached here:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/07/24/massive-pig-balloon-at-roger-waters-concert-features-star-of-david-video/.
Often I can ignore these attacks but Rabbi Cooper’s accusations, are so wild and bigoted they demand a response.
Dear Rabbi Cooper,
I hold your outburst to be inflammatory and un-helpful and would suggest it can only impede progress towards peace and understanding between people. It is also extremely insulting to me personally in that you accuse me of being ‘Anti Semitic’, ‘A Jew Hater’ and ‘Nazi Sympathizer’
I have three specific points to make:
1). Your use of the adjective “ANTI-SEMITIC”.
First I direct you to an announcement by ‘The Anti Defamation League’ an American organization, who’s declared aim is to defend Jewish people and Judaism from attack. They recently said.
“While we wish that Mr. Waters would have avoided using the Star of David, we believe there is no anti-Semitic intent here.”
I should point out that in the show, I also use the Crucifix, the Crescent and Star, the Hammer and Sickle, the Shell Oil Logo and The McDonald’s Sign, a Dollar Sign and a Mercedes sign.
2). JEW-HATING? I have many very close Jewish friends, one of whom, interestingly enough, is the nephew of the late Simon Wiesenthal. I am proud of that association; Simon Wiesenthal was a great man. Also I have two grandsons who, I love more than life itself, their Mother, my daughter in law, is Jewish and so, in consequence, I’m told, are they.
3). NAZI? Not only did my father, 2nd Lieutenant Eric Fletcher Waters, die in Italy on February 18th 1944 fighting the Nazis, but I was brought up in post war England where I received the most thorough education on the subject of Nazism and where I was spared no horrific detail of the heinous crimes committed in the name of that most foul ideology. I remember my mother’s friends Claudette and Maria, I remember their tattoos, they where survivors, two of the lucky ones.
My Mother spent the whole of the rest of her life, involved politically to make sure the future for her children and grandchildren, in fact for everyone’s children and grandchildren, black, white, Gentile, Jew, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, et al, had no Sword of Damocles in the form of the despised Nazi Creed hanging over their heads.
I for my part, as best I can, have continued along my parent’s path. At the age of nearly 70, in the spirit of my Father and Mother and all they did, I have stood my ground, as best I can, in defense of Mistress Liberty.
The Wall Show, so lamely attacked by you, is many things. It is thoughtful, life affirming, ecumenical, humane, loving, anti war, anti colonial, pro universal access to the law, pro liberty, pro collaboration, pro dialogue, pro peace, anti authoritarian, anti fascist, anti apartheid, anti dogma, international in spirit, musical and satirical.
It is not.
ANTI-SEMITIC or PRO NAZI
I have often come under attack by the pro Israel lobby because of my support for BDS, (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) which I won't go into here, anyone interested can access a speech I made at The United Nations on the 29th November last year.
However I will say this, in a functioning theocracy it is almost inevitable that the symbol of the religion becomes confused with the symbol of the state, in this case the State of Israel, a state that operates Apartheid both within its own borders and also in the territories it has occupied and colonized since 1967.
Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel and its policies and is legitimately subject to any and all forms of non violent protest. To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is NOT ANTI-SEMITIC. Your contention that because I criticize the Policies of the Israeli government I should be lumped in with the Muslim Brotherhood is risible, and again a personal affront. I have spent my whole adult life advocating separation of church and state.
At every Wall Show I invite 20 vets from whatever country we are in backstage at half time to meet, exchange handshakes and good wishes and mementos. At one show, a year or so ago, an older vet, Vietnam era, at a guess, blocked my exit, he put out his hand which I took, he did not let go, he looked me in the eyes and he said " Your Father would be proud of you."
Tears burn my eyes.
The Wall is reaching out to you and all the other Rabbi Cooper’s out there.
Come to the show!
Love
Roger
P.S.
For the sake of some perspective. The inflatable pig that so offended young Alon has appeared at every Wall Show since September 2010, some 193 shows, yours is the first complaint. Also the pig in question represents evil, and more specifically the evil of errant government. We make a gift of this symbol of repression to the audience at the end of every show and the people always do the right thing. They destroy it.
Source
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/07/24/massive-pig-balloon-at-roger-waters-concert-features-star-of-david-video/.
Often I can ignore these attacks but Rabbi Cooper’s accusations, are so wild and bigoted they demand a response.
Dear Rabbi Cooper,
I hold your outburst to be inflammatory and un-helpful and would suggest it can only impede progress towards peace and understanding between people. It is also extremely insulting to me personally in that you accuse me of being ‘Anti Semitic’, ‘A Jew Hater’ and ‘Nazi Sympathizer’
I have three specific points to make:
1). Your use of the adjective “ANTI-SEMITIC”.
First I direct you to an announcement by ‘The Anti Defamation League’ an American organization, who’s declared aim is to defend Jewish people and Judaism from attack. They recently said.
“While we wish that Mr. Waters would have avoided using the Star of David, we believe there is no anti-Semitic intent here.”
I should point out that in the show, I also use the Crucifix, the Crescent and Star, the Hammer and Sickle, the Shell Oil Logo and The McDonald’s Sign, a Dollar Sign and a Mercedes sign.
2). JEW-HATING? I have many very close Jewish friends, one of whom, interestingly enough, is the nephew of the late Simon Wiesenthal. I am proud of that association; Simon Wiesenthal was a great man. Also I have two grandsons who, I love more than life itself, their Mother, my daughter in law, is Jewish and so, in consequence, I’m told, are they.
3). NAZI? Not only did my father, 2nd Lieutenant Eric Fletcher Waters, die in Italy on February 18th 1944 fighting the Nazis, but I was brought up in post war England where I received the most thorough education on the subject of Nazism and where I was spared no horrific detail of the heinous crimes committed in the name of that most foul ideology. I remember my mother’s friends Claudette and Maria, I remember their tattoos, they where survivors, two of the lucky ones.
My Mother spent the whole of the rest of her life, involved politically to make sure the future for her children and grandchildren, in fact for everyone’s children and grandchildren, black, white, Gentile, Jew, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, et al, had no Sword of Damocles in the form of the despised Nazi Creed hanging over their heads.
I for my part, as best I can, have continued along my parent’s path. At the age of nearly 70, in the spirit of my Father and Mother and all they did, I have stood my ground, as best I can, in defense of Mistress Liberty.
The Wall Show, so lamely attacked by you, is many things. It is thoughtful, life affirming, ecumenical, humane, loving, anti war, anti colonial, pro universal access to the law, pro liberty, pro collaboration, pro dialogue, pro peace, anti authoritarian, anti fascist, anti apartheid, anti dogma, international in spirit, musical and satirical.
It is not.
ANTI-SEMITIC or PRO NAZI
I have often come under attack by the pro Israel lobby because of my support for BDS, (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) which I won't go into here, anyone interested can access a speech I made at The United Nations on the 29th November last year.
However I will say this, in a functioning theocracy it is almost inevitable that the symbol of the religion becomes confused with the symbol of the state, in this case the State of Israel, a state that operates Apartheid both within its own borders and also in the territories it has occupied and colonized since 1967.
Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel and its policies and is legitimately subject to any and all forms of non violent protest. To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is NOT ANTI-SEMITIC. Your contention that because I criticize the Policies of the Israeli government I should be lumped in with the Muslim Brotherhood is risible, and again a personal affront. I have spent my whole adult life advocating separation of church and state.
At every Wall Show I invite 20 vets from whatever country we are in backstage at half time to meet, exchange handshakes and good wishes and mementos. At one show, a year or so ago, an older vet, Vietnam era, at a guess, blocked my exit, he put out his hand which I took, he did not let go, he looked me in the eyes and he said " Your Father would be proud of you."
Tears burn my eyes.
The Wall is reaching out to you and all the other Rabbi Cooper’s out there.
Come to the show!
Love
Roger
P.S.
For the sake of some perspective. The inflatable pig that so offended young Alon has appeared at every Wall Show since September 2010, some 193 shows, yours is the first complaint. Also the pig in question represents evil, and more specifically the evil of errant government. We make a gift of this symbol of repression to the audience at the end of every show and the people always do the right thing. They destroy it.
Source
Obama - every bit the pathetic looser that he always was
I never liked Obama and as early as October 2008 I reminded everybody that Malcolm X would certainly consider Obama as a "house Negro". Five years later my disgust with this man has almost reached a point where I miss bad old Dubya who, at least, had the excuse of being an ignorant, insecure imbecile. Obama, of course, has no such excuse. He is clearly very intelligent, well educated and charismatic - and he knows that. But this is hardly a compliment, because when these undeniable qualities are paired with his policies it becomes immediately obvious that he is completely immoral, that he is for sale literally to the highest bidder, that he has no sense of right and wrong beyond serving his master(s). Obama is the prototypical "house Negro" who's only concern is for his mater(s): the banks, Big Pharma, the Zionist lobby, the Homo lobby, etc. This kind of complete dedication to the highest bidder (be in it dollars or in political support) inevitably brings the man to amazingly stupid decisions. Here is just the latest one:
Obama cancels meeting with Putin and criticizes Russia's policies towards homosexuals.
Needless to say, I very much doubt that upon learning this news a heartbroken Putin seized a pillow and went bawling into his bed. In fact, I can say with a great degree of confidence that Putin, on a personal level, was probably relieved by the news that he would not have to talk to this spineless slug. And on a Presidential level? Just ask yourself who needs whom more? Does the US need Russian cooperation or does Russia need US cooperation? I think that the answer is obvious.
As for the criticizing Russia's policies towards form of sexual psycho-pathologies - this just adds a touch of nauseating confirmation that Obama is just a puppet in the hands of various lobbies. Again, something which nobody in the Kremlin will respect. As for Putin himself, Obama just did him a favor as both Putin's stance on the Snowden affair and his handling of Western pro-homo propaganda has the support of the entire political class and the vast majority of the Russian population.
So all this is pure good news for Putin and for Russia.
The Saker
Obama cancels meeting with Putin and criticizes Russia's policies towards homosexuals.
Needless to say, I very much doubt that upon learning this news a heartbroken Putin seized a pillow and went bawling into his bed. In fact, I can say with a great degree of confidence that Putin, on a personal level, was probably relieved by the news that he would not have to talk to this spineless slug. And on a Presidential level? Just ask yourself who needs whom more? Does the US need Russian cooperation or does Russia need US cooperation? I think that the answer is obvious.
As for the criticizing Russia's policies towards form of sexual psycho-pathologies - this just adds a touch of nauseating confirmation that Obama is just a puppet in the hands of various lobbies. Again, something which nobody in the Kremlin will respect. As for Putin himself, Obama just did him a favor as both Putin's stance on the Snowden affair and his handling of Western pro-homo propaganda has the support of the entire political class and the vast majority of the Russian population.
So all this is pure good news for Putin and for Russia.
The Saker
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich on Iran's political course after elections
Comment: As always, Soraya brings up an important point - the consistently nefarious role of Saudi Arabia which, on one hand, acts like the US and Israeli "poodle" when it closes its airspace to a President whose trips it does not approve of, but which on the other hand strives to impersonate some kind of regional power. Therein lies the key contradiction: you cannot be somebody's vassal state *and* a pretend credible regional power, hence the truly nasty, toxic and consistently evil stance the KSA takes on everything, from its medieval internal policies to its systematic involvement into any conflict in the region.
Frankly, if it wasn't for a multi-billion "respectability" PR campaign and for all the money the Saudis gladly hand out to westerner, the KSA would share the podium with the DPRK and Israel as one of the most corrupt, disgusting, immoral and outright crazy regime on the planet.
The Saker
Monday, August 5, 2013
Dimitri Medvedev gives a rather interesting interview to RT TV
I find this interview not so interesting from the point of view of Medvedev's personal recollection of the 08.08.08 - there is a lot that he is not saying or, even, admitting to - but from the point of his views on wars in general because here he expresses what I would call the "Russian social consensus on war" and that consensus is a key element in the shaping of the current and, I believe, future, Russian foreign policy. Medvedev also explains how the Russian view is different from the one of the West and in particular the one still prevailing in the USA.
As I have said the past, Medvedev is what I call an "Atlantic integrationist" and yet on the issue of war even he takes a stance which is radically different from the one adopted in the US-EU. This just goes to show how far Russia, as a country, a culture, a civilization, has drifted away from the US-EU even when we look into the views of its most pro-Western politicians.
Anyway, interesting stuff. Check it out.
Cheers,
The Saker
-------
As I have said the past, Medvedev is what I call an "Atlantic integrationist" and yet on the issue of war even he takes a stance which is radically different from the one adopted in the US-EU. This just goes to show how far Russia, as a country, a culture, a civilization, has drifted away from the US-EU even when we look into the views of its most pro-Western politicians.
Anyway, interesting stuff. Check it out.
Cheers,
The Saker
-------
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Speech on Al Quds Day 2013 (HQ video with English subtitles!)
Today I have the huge pleasure to share with you news which I have been awaiting for a long time: somebody has decided to make the speeches of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah available in high quality video and subtitled in English!
Check out the YouTube channel ElectronicResistace. It is a real treasure trove of Hezbollah related videos and, from now on, it will feature the speeches of Hassan Nasrallah with English subtitles.
This is, in my opinion, a far better option that simply offering a translated transcript. Hassan Nasrallah is not only an exceptional speaker, he is a person of immense charisma and while the brain of a non-Arabic speaker (like myself) might get the information from a transcript, there is a very important gut-level emotion that I have always felt when listening to Hassan Nasrallah which I believe is important to share.
Have you ever seen Nasrallah's "Divine Victory" speech? I will share a small secret with you: I have a copy of that speech on my smartphone and whenever I feel desperate or disgusted with the world, I watch it and it always gives me courage, peace and even joy.
Finally, as I have said many times: Nasrallah is an absolutely unique politician in that he simply does not lie. Ever. If he says something, you can take it to the bank. And this is another reason why his speeches are absolutely crucial for anybody interested in the Middle-East: they are just about the best source of understanding of what is really happening and what is likely to happen in the future. Yes, I know, its very counter-intuitive, but Hassan Nasrallah does not seem to be interested in propaganda, at least not at the expense of truth. He might not say everything he knows, of course, but he will never outright lie.
Anyway, make sure to visit the YouTube channel ElectronicResistace on a regular basis and study these fantastic speeches.
BTW - two separate friends told me that this most recent speech below is on of the best one Nasrallah ever made. I agree.
Enjoy!
The Saker
-------
Check out the YouTube channel ElectronicResistace. It is a real treasure trove of Hezbollah related videos and, from now on, it will feature the speeches of Hassan Nasrallah with English subtitles.
This is, in my opinion, a far better option that simply offering a translated transcript. Hassan Nasrallah is not only an exceptional speaker, he is a person of immense charisma and while the brain of a non-Arabic speaker (like myself) might get the information from a transcript, there is a very important gut-level emotion that I have always felt when listening to Hassan Nasrallah which I believe is important to share.
Have you ever seen Nasrallah's "Divine Victory" speech? I will share a small secret with you: I have a copy of that speech on my smartphone and whenever I feel desperate or disgusted with the world, I watch it and it always gives me courage, peace and even joy.
Finally, as I have said many times: Nasrallah is an absolutely unique politician in that he simply does not lie. Ever. If he says something, you can take it to the bank. And this is another reason why his speeches are absolutely crucial for anybody interested in the Middle-East: they are just about the best source of understanding of what is really happening and what is likely to happen in the future. Yes, I know, its very counter-intuitive, but Hassan Nasrallah does not seem to be interested in propaganda, at least not at the expense of truth. He might not say everything he knows, of course, but he will never outright lie.
Anyway, make sure to visit the YouTube channel ElectronicResistace on a regular basis and study these fantastic speeches.
BTW - two separate friends told me that this most recent speech below is on of the best one Nasrallah ever made. I agree.
Enjoy!
The Saker
-------
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Russian and Chinese ground forces practice interoperability in the “Peaceful Mission 2013” joint military exercise
I have recently written about the large scale military exercises conducted by Russia in the Far East and I remember that some clueless commentator (from the BBC I think) wrote that while the maritime component was directed at Japan, the land component was directed at China. At the time I did not think that it was worth spending any time debunking this silly notion, but today I will mention that far from threatening each other, the Russian and Chinese military are, yet again, conducting joint training and military exercises. While in the previous joint exercises Russia and China had trained together on the seas (Joint Sea 2013), this time they are doing so on land.
The latest Sino-Russian joint military exercise, called “Peaceful Mission 2013”, is being conducted at the Chebarkul military training grounds in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region and involved armor and artillery (about 70 pieces of heavy equipment, such equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, reconnaissance patrol, 120 mm caliber howitzers, 152 mm self-propelled artillery and a number of engineering and maintenance vehicles), army aviation (Chinese helicopters crew from the Shenyang Military Region few over 4'000km lead by Russian helicopters and special forces units (350 soldiers). In spite of that big firepower, these exercises were characterized by both Russian and Chinese officials as "anti-terrorist" training. Cute.
Here is a short Russian TV report just to give you sense of what this all looks like and to gauge the mood of the participants:
Bottom line: far from threatening each other (an old dream of the Anglo elites) Russia and China are making unprecedented efforts to jointly train together with a strong stress on interoperability. In other words, the two countries are practicing joint military operations against a common enemy.
My guess is that the next thing we will see are joint military operations by Russian and Chinese air forces.
The Saker
The latest Sino-Russian joint military exercise, called “Peaceful Mission 2013”, is being conducted at the Chebarkul military training grounds in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region and involved armor and artillery (about 70 pieces of heavy equipment, such equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, reconnaissance patrol, 120 mm caliber howitzers, 152 mm self-propelled artillery and a number of engineering and maintenance vehicles), army aviation (Chinese helicopters crew from the Shenyang Military Region few over 4'000km lead by Russian helicopters and special forces units (350 soldiers). In spite of that big firepower, these exercises were characterized by both Russian and Chinese officials as "anti-terrorist" training. Cute.
Here is a short Russian TV report just to give you sense of what this all looks like and to gauge the mood of the participants:
Bottom line: far from threatening each other (an old dream of the Anglo elites) Russia and China are making unprecedented efforts to jointly train together with a strong stress on interoperability. In other words, the two countries are practicing joint military operations against a common enemy.
My guess is that the next thing we will see are joint military operations by Russian and Chinese air forces.
The Saker
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