UK: Mother of all elections to Get Brexit Gone

UK: Mother of all elections to Get Brexit Gone

Let there be no doubts about it, the future of the United Kingdom as a Union, as a successful economy and as a major player on the world stage is at stake in the forthcoming massive election on December 12. Let us present a serious and balanced analysis of what is on the table which will open the window for others to understand the magnitude of the situation and might point the British electorate in the right direction.

Brexit has been a glowing ember for years, since the European Union went too far and too fast, stitching together economies which had taken thousands of years to develop into one single patchwork in one fell swoop. When the people were asked, they were as a rule divided 50/50 and as we saw in 2016, in the UK Referendum, they still are.

The European Union is far more popular in countries like Malta and Portugal and Germany than it is in, say, England. This is also the case in Scotland, Northern ireland, the Republic of Ireland and half of Wales. In fact, globally, the European Union may not be liked as a supra-national umbrella but at the same time people in general and the experts in particular recognize that it is the only alternative. Once you are in the club it doesn't make sense to get out.

In a world of large trading blocks, it makes sense to use the synergies inherent in a block and piggy-back, surfing a wave of 28 nations (in the case of the EU) rather than going it alone and trying to snowboard when everyone else is surfing, or bodyboard when the rest are skiing.

It makes no sense to leave a club with which you do half your trade for free, after paying the administrative duty, then pay to have access to the markets which will necessarily mean higher prices for imports, lower earnings for exports, the bottom lines squeezed in both cases, meaning firms go under, meaning people lose jobs, meaning there is less money in revenue from import/export, income tax, company tax, VAT and stamp duty and more money going out of the kitty in social benefit payments.

It means many thousands of families affected by unemployment which these days becomes endemic very fast and temporary joblessness is translated into long-term unemployment for a growing number of victims. This has social costs, such as marginalization and criminal activity among those living in the areas devastated by Brexit, it means less money for police, for the NHS, for schools and for public services in general.

So this election is not about Brexit and everything else, as some claim, it is not about Brexit only as others claim, it is about the damage any form of Brexit will do to the British and Irish economies and this is fundamental to the delivery, or non-delivery, of public services in the future.

It is important, therefore, that the electorate considers very carefully what it is doing because these situations require people to act with responsibility. The "oh let's just get on with it, I'm tired of Brexit" is not a responsible approach, it is one paramount to saying "oh well I don't want to take hallucinogenic drugs but give me the pill and to hell with the consequences".

This is not a moment for people to be tired of Brexit, it is a question to use citizenship wisely and to care for the future, to cater for tomorrow's generations who wish to remain inside Europe, proposing changes from within if necessary but not bolting the door and throwing away the key on some Quixotesque quest for cloud cuckoo land amid a furious media campaign trying to push for Brexit "because we can strike our own deals".

We, who? Those doing the deals today are already preparing them before the Ministers know what is in them. The Health Secretary for instance just stated this week that the NHS was not going to be the subject of sell-offs to the private insurance sector, when such talks are already under way with the Americans. Nobody is going to queue up to do special deals with the UK because that might affect their access to the rest of the EU and people are going to do deals with the block of 450 million first and the UK second, way down the line.

Basic mathematics would indicate that doing Transatlantic trade deals putting transportation costs into the equation does not equate when you take into account that the distance from Dover to Calais is 30 kilometers. It does not make sense to pay for access to a market with which you do half your trade for free, then lose any say in what happens because you decided to leave the club on a whim because a bunch of toffs said so, those who make a mint out of shorting the pound (create an incident, invest when the pound is low then wait and sell when it recovers); one may ask the same ones as from November 1^st (tomorrow) how much money they have squirreled away in offshore banks and institutions to avoid paying taxes in the UK - these are the ones who tell you to pay your taxes. See, the October 31^st deadline suddenly makes sense because the new EU directive comes into force on November 1, in which people will have to declare ALL their savings and investments.

So Brexit was always a bad idea and was basically a ploy for the super-rich to get richer at the expense of everyone else. It is bad for business, it is terrible for public services and it makes no sense at all to talk about extra police on the streets and more hospitals because any form of Brexit is going to make these policies unattainable unless the Government borrows even more money than it is doing and ruins public finances for decades to come.

With Brexit, Britain is bankrupt, will implode, separate and lie in pools of squalor. Society will be stretched to breaking point and it will not be the same place, ever again. Here is the chance, the only one, to Get Brexit Gone. The UK is full of creative people with a good level of education who can network with their friends and colleagues across Europe, creating something better for all and not acting like some Medieval superstitious, insular hell-hole. This is 2019, the time of large trading blocks, the time of synergies and collectivism, it's a global world with global players, not individualists making a fast buck at the expense of the nation and its future.

So Brexit does not make sense. The Conservative/Tory Party has stupidly allied itself with the Brexit cause so a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Brexit. Therefore it makes no sense for Remainer Tories to vote for the party they have given their allegence to all their lives. Labour stands for a second referendum, which may be attractive to some, the LibDems stand for no Brexit, which might be even more attractive to remainer Tories and Labour supporters, while the Green vote is both for the environment and sustainable management of resources and for Remain.

For those still unconvinced, think of it this way: If most members of the House of Commons do not want Brexit, it is because they are privy to information that the people do not have. Nobody anywhere with knowledge of the facts considers that there is anything to be gained from Brexit. Quite the contrary.

So let us see whether the people of the United Kingdom have been contaminated by some form of political virus which renders them politically blind, deaf and dumb or whether they can in fact show responsibility and secure the future of their nation. Bottom line: If you don't want Brexit, don't vote Conservative, but network and vote tactically to make sure your vote counts. With the Brexit specter removed, next time around you can vote for whoever you choose.

On this generation of voters, the future of the UK counts.

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A Predictable Coup in Bolivia

In the streets of Bolivia, Pravda.ru has talked to opponent civilians and policemen, among others: "Civilians, with policemen and some military, are advancing a coup." Active protesters have seen hidden policemen being transported by ambulances, maybe from other parts of the country: is the government preparing a siege?

 "We have seen hidden policemen, being transported by ambulances," said to Pravda.ru in Santa Cruz de la Sierra city last Wednesday two active protesters, opponents to the Bolivian President Evo Morales. At 24 de Septiembre Square, they started then to discuss between them, in a tense way, the possibilities of that atypical transportation in Bolivia's most tense days in the last 16 years, as violence and terror are spreading all over the country. 

On the following day, two policemen in the same place, where everything happens in Bolivia's richest city, confided to Pravda.ru: "Civilians, with policemen and some military, are advancing a coup." According to them, the perpetrators of Morales' overthrown are well aware that would lead to a bloody confrontation across the South American country. "The government will call the military to take to the streets, many will be killed."

There haven't been cars in the streets since Wednesday's midnight, nor trade. Workers' Union across the country called Central Obrera Departamental, linked to Movement toward Socialism (official party), have been close since then, too. Government institutions have their employees before closed doors: theoretically open to the public. Hidden behind guards, and deep fear. Tension and fear, two words to define Bolivia for the last five days.

When Pravda.ru was finishing the talk to the two opponent guys, a so strange siren started to ring. 

- A siren is ringing... said a protester to his partner, lifting his eyes and moving his head.

- So, what is this? Said the other, concerned but confident of themselves.

Talking to opponent civilians, one sees a high tension in their countenances, and their expectancy that death may be close.

On Thursday evening, religious leaders and their followers started taking to the streets. At 24 de Septiembre Square, a group of evangelicals was praying and praising God. "May the Bible enter the Justice Court!" prayed the pastor. Questioned what they were doing there, a Mandamiento de Deus (God Commandment Church) member answered to Pravda.ru: "This government is against religion, want to close churches. They do not want people to attend churches."

Of course, "the Bible to enter the Justice Court" means Evo Morales' overthrow now, even if his main opponent in the last presidential campaign, Carlos Mesa, does not have any project to improve the terrible Bolivian justice system. Neither Mesa said anything about this when vice-president (2002-2004), nor did nothing when the president for six months (2004).

This reporter has observed, long ago, a coup being conspired in Bolivia having religious leaders as one of its main perpetrators. It has been clear, among other things, in private talks to this sector of the Bolivian society. The more the elections came closer, the more it became clear to this author. 

Religious leaders have cooperated to aggravate hatred and social division in Bolivia. They are used to inquiring people who attend churches - especially, those who privately talk to them - about their political views, being hostile against pro-Evo Morales opinions, aggressive many times. A large part of big lies come from this sector, which so strongly manipulates telling, many times, surreal stories involving the government, and Evo Morales.

Sunday morning, the General Vicar of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Juan Crespo, said at the Cathedral located at 24 de Septiembre Square that the Electoral Court has provoked an uncertain and dark future to Bolivia: according to him, due to a fraud which re-elected President Evo Morales, for the fourth time. "Those [officials] responsible for the action of administering this democratic act [counting the votes], has not lived up to the Bolivian people."

So this scenario is not surprising - repeating the coups all over Latin America in the past, and Brazil in 2016 against Dilma Rousseff, having religion as a tool to manipulate people behind political interests.

Minutes before, a group of protesters had passed by the street in front of that square marching toward Christ the Redeemer statue around 700 meters from there, the bigger concentration of protesters in Santa Cruz de la Sierra where protesters block trafficking. They shouted and carries posters saying, "no a runoff. Evo Morales, out!" The marchers, a group of around 50 people, were applauded by the people at the square - around 130 people.

So in a few days, the so-called fight for democracy has been changed for an open fight for the president's overthrown. No matter how. 

There is no sign that the general strike, called a Civilian Strike (Paro Civico) across Bolivia, will finish. 

The local government is not going to cede, that is, achieve a runoff neither resign. The opposition neither is going to give up.

This Sunday afternoon (La Paz time), President Evo Morales declared that there is a coup attempt against him, "the next week," he said. "They are saying that it will be until Tuesday."

Carlos Mesa incites more manifestations and calls out people all over the country not to stop the so-called Civic Strike. No one word about violence many of his voters are perpetrating. That is, the Morales' opponent is indirectly inciting more violence among the Bolivian people.

Two hours later, opponent leaders of Potosi, Chuquisaca, and Tarija called out a national strike and a siege to every government institution, including the Presidential Palace. Sunday morning, Morales had threatened to siege the many cities all over the country on Civic Strike. 

It seems, from the beginning of this so-called Civic Strike (to this reporter, long ago), that there is no escape to Bolivia but a too violent confrontation. Talking to families, too, the only sense here is that things will end up in violence out of control.

All that remains is to wait for the week to begin, in a country completely stopped and filled with fear and uncertainty.

Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Bolivian_protests#/media/File:Manifestaciones_en_La_Paz,_Bolivia_en_contra_el_fraude_electoral_y_el_gobierno_de_Evo_Morales.jpg

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Syria 2019: Matteo Carnieletto's opinion

Syria 2019: Matteo Carnieletto's opinion

 

Several times threatened, the direct Turkish intervention in the Syrian war materialized last October 9 under the misleading name of "Source of Peace", with the aim of striking Kurds who, hostile to Ankara, found refuge in the cross-border border between Syria and Turkey.

And Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Turkey has never been a stranger to the sufferings of the Syrian people, being indeed one of the main causes due to the unconditional support offered by Istanbul to the American plans to destroy the Syrian Arab Republic. It is across the Turkish-Syrian border that jihadist militiamen, weapons and logistical support poured into Syria and, from the occupied Syrian territories, in a reverse direction, Syrian oil, machine tools from occupied industrial districts, agricultural products and works of art belonging to the history of the Syrian people, have gone.

The Russian intervention put an end to this bonanza of looting but it was only after the failed American coup attempt in 2016 that relations between Moscow and Ankara underwent a first timid rapprochement, allowing people to hope for a turnaround, positive albeit far, of the Syrian tragedy.

According to Thierry Meyssan [1], the ongoing Turkish intervention was agreed with all the parties involved: Syrians, Russians and Iranians but also with the America of the Trump presidency seeking a way out of the Syrian quagmire.

After Donald Trump's election, I interviewed Matteo Carnieletto of Occhi della Guerra / InsideOver [2], an Italian journalist and geopolitical expert. I return with him now, three years later, to try once more to understand the Syrian situation.

1) Our first interview dates back to December 2016, shortly after the start of the Russian intervention in Syria. Can you remind to the readers in what condition Syria was then?

A) I was in Syria at that time, to interview Bashar al Assad. At that time, the situation was deeply different from what it is today. The regime was not yet so sure of winning, the rebels, especially the Army of Islam, still occupied the Ghouta and the ISIS was still feared. In three years, the situation has changed radically. Assad - thanks to Russians, Iranians and Hezbollah - has managed to recover most of Syria. ISIS has practically disappeared, as has the dream of autonomy for the Kurds.

2) Many hoped that Trump's arrival at the White House would accelerate the end of both the war and the US Middle East plan but the reality was different. In your opinion, for what reasons?

A) I do not agree with this reading: I believe that Trump's choice is a real turning point in American foreign policy. The American president barks, but does not bite. He promises wars, but he does not. On the contrary: if we look at what happened with North Korea or Turkey, Trump has always played the role of mediator. The USA cannot leave the Middle East: they are a power and cannot abdicate their role as a blank point. Such a action would represent a devastating change of balance.

3) What is now the situation on the field in Syria?

A) Excellent for Damascus, bad for those who, in recent years, have fomented the war. The regime has now won and the rebels are barricaded in Idlib province, which is now hammered daily by Russian and Syrian fighters.

4 The Kurdish issue dates back to the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1920, with the first solemn promises to the Kurds of an independent State. None of this has ever happened: can we think of it as a problem without a solution? 

A) An independent Kurdish state is impossible today. What the Kurds can hope for is to get more autonomy, as happened in Iraq, but in Syria, the road is almost uphill...

5) President Trump wrote to his counterpart Erdoğan shortly after the start of Turkish military operations in Syria, an official letter but far from the usual diplomatic practice. What is Erdoğan looking for in Syria?

A) Erdogan tries to get out of this conflict as a winner and I believe he will make it in the end. The Raʾīs in these years has been able to recycle itself several times, first favoring the terrorists, then approaching the Russians and, finally, again using the terrorists to do the dirty work in Syria and take shreds of this country.

6) Is Erdoğan doing part of the dirty work for Trump, to accelerate the end of the war and obtain even a minimal territorial concession?

A) I don't know if there was a real agreement between the two. What is sure is that today both Trump and Erdogan have achieved their goals: the first is bringing American soldiers home as he had promised (even though around 200 men will remain to guard the oil wells east of the Euphrates) and Erdogan has the Kurdish problem solved and, soon, it will send over 2 million refugees back to Syria. Agreement or not, the two are now gloating.

7) The French took care to bomb the large Lafarge cement plant in Jalabiyeh, under their control since the beginning of the war. Is Paris deleting the traces of its responsibilities?

A) On this, I let Monsignor Hindo speak, whom in an interview three or four years ago complained about the French Foreign Minister asking him for advice and then doing something else. France from the beginning has been on the side of the rebels and, in order to pursue its own interests, it would also have done business with the Caliphate, as shown by the case of the Lafarge cement plant.

8) What future for the thousands of jihadists who come out more and more defeated by the Syrian conflict?

A) We must first distinguish between foreign fighters and local jihadists. For the latter the future is already marked and it is quite dark. As for the foreign fighters, there are a thousand questions: will the native countries take them back or will they let the Kurds and the government do the dirty work? Should we think about rehabilitation paths for them? What to do with the "puppies of the Caliphate", or children born under the Islamic State? These questions are essential because - depending on how the terrorists are treated - tomorrow's scenarios will be shaped.

[1] https://www.voltairenet.org/article208010.html  

[2] https://www.insideover.com/  

*******************************************************

Costantino Ceoldo - Pravda freelance

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Is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi really dead?

The Trump administration is cheering for the presumed elimination of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi while the world is waiting for substantial evidence to back up the claim.

The U.S. President said during the press conference that al-Baghdadi died like a coward "whimpering and crying and screaming all the way" while hiding in a dead-end tunnel. Trump also said U.S. operators were able to confirm al-Baghdadi's identity through DNA testing on the scene, noting his body was under rubble and badly mutilated.

That's right, because if Usama Bin Laden was buried in the sea, according to a non-existent "Islamic tradition", in this case the public opinion will have to rely on Washington's DNA testing and take al-Baghdadi's death as a granted result of the test.

Moreover, it's interesting to notice how both Bin Laden and al-Baghdadi's take outs occurred approximately one year and a half before U.S. presidential elections.

Additionally, let's keep in mind that the US currently needed a good reason to leave Syria (after securing the oil indeed, as Trump himself claimed during the press conference) and isn't the death of the leader of Isis a great reason to withdraw? Job done.

Secondly, the big question: why would Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi decided to hide in the Idlib area which is under the control of Qaedist group Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham? Definitely not an Isis ally! An area where al-Baghdadi had no solid connections or alliances among the local tribes, with high risks of being betrayed and sold.  The village of Barisha, where the presumed raid occurred, is close to the Turkish border; was al-Baghdadi trying to reach Turkey? If yes, Why? He would have surely been safer in his native Iraq.

Moreover, it sounds a bit strange that the leader of one of the major jihadist organizations was hiding not only in an unfriendly area, but even inside a dead-end tunnel; not a smart move, not something we would expect from the jihadist leader.

President Trump also praised Russia during the press conference, claiming that the Russians opened the airspace over Idlib in order to let the Delta team in: "they didn't know where we were going or what we were doing but they opened up great".

However, Moscow pointed out that it recorded no U.S. coalition airstrikes in the Idlib area in northwest Syria on Saturday when the raid was held. Moscow also rejected Trump's claims that Russian forces opened up the airspace under its control in Syria to American planes to facilitate the operation against the Isis leader.

It makes sense, after all, why would Russia decide to open up airspace to a foreign special unit without questioning and acknowledging objectives? Totally unrealistic.

Now the world is waiting for substantial evidence of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death, the only thing that counts. The only element that will make Washington's claims credible.

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Joe Biden: Over his head, out of his depth

Joe Biden: Over his head, out of his depth

After years of Russophobic insolence and diatribes and after his family's recent history in Ukraine was exposed for all to see, it is crystal clear who and what Joe Biden is: in a word, unfit for office as POTUS. He should not take himself too seriously...

In constantly pressing the anti-Russia button, Biden is following a line which has become hackneyed to the point of ridicule. It is a line which is popular among those of his generation, growing up in the shadow of McCarthyism, those who belong to the yesteryear of international relations, whose generation created the hell-hole which is planet Earth today. They believe that if you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make her/him afraid. This involves creating ogres and monsters, non-existent enemies, creating a strong image of "them" to justify "us" and tell people that if they vote for you, then you will keep them safe and they can go back to their political slumberland drooling over a can of beer as they watch Barney belching on The Simpsons and curl up giggling. They then sidle up to the military-industrial complex and create hotspots to create conflict and sell weapons acting at the same time as a portal for the interests of the Lobbies, the BARFFS (Banking, Arms, eneRgy, Finance, Food, drugS).

Not surprisingly, Biden uses this approach, so popular among those who look for Reds under their Beds every night and who believe that 17 Russians were smarter than 300 million Americans at the last election. Soon he will be claiming that Russia is behind a massive campaign to discredit his candidacy for the Presidency.

In fact, Biden is perfectly capable of doing all that by himself. We are speaking of the man who went to Kiev to lecture the Ukrainian parliament on corruption, then lo and behold guess whose son suddenly finds himself as a bigwig in the Ukrainian energy scene? Like, what a coincidence. This, after the illegal Putsch which ousted the democratically elected President (Yanukovich) amid acts of terrorism (so often the modus operandi of the USA).

Here stands the man who has referred to Russia and its President in derogatory terms, with sheer insolence, scare-mongering, projecting lurid images without a shred of evidence. Perhaps he cannot remember the four-letter word, Iraq, with which his country is indelibly associated.

Perhaps Joe Biden cannot remember the shocking acts of torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq where people were subjected to medieval-style abuse after being detained without trial. Perhaps if he wants to disassociate himself from Iraq, then Joe Biden has forgotten the role his country played in Libya when he was Vice-President, sending the country with the highest Human Development Index in Africa back to the stone age, fragmented, dangerous, crawling with terrorists and hosting open slave markets.

Perhaps Joe Biden has forgotten the role the USA and its yapping chihuahuas have played in Syria, training, aiding and arming terrorists and then maybe he has forgotten the deplorable acts carried out by terrorist groups in this country, slicing the breasts off nuns before raping them, playing soccer with the heads of little girls who were raped before and after decapitation and after being forced to watch their parents being tortured to death.

So perhaps Joe Biden should mind his own (rude word) business, STFU, and realise that he reached his Peter's Principle of incompetence as number two to Barack Obama. Biden was not born to be a leader, he was not born to get anywhere near the Presidency because he has never had what it takes - one only has to see him floundering around on a stage being conceited, arrogant, rude and insolent. He is over his head, out of his depth. He is a has-been without ever having been.

Joe Biden, in short, is a confused, dangerous, Russophobic guttersnipe out of line with the hearts and minds of his people. Americans today want to be part of the international community, Americans today do not want wars and confrontation, they want peace, development, education in a globalised world of brothers and sisters. They want to embrace Russians, not glower at them through a sight of a gun.

Perhaps it is time Joe Biden did not take himself too seriously...

Photo: By Daniel Schwen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://ift.tt/2WcWe9a

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US intelligence agencies fear losing financial flow from Togliattiazot

The Samara Regional Court began consideration of the appeal against the verdict of the Komsomolsky District Court of Togliatti in relation to Sergey Makhlai, Vladimir Makhlai, E. Korolev, A. Zivi, and B. Ruprecht. They were found guilty under Art. 159.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - fraud committed by an organized group on an especially large scale. In this case, an especially large scale means 87 billion rubles.

Striving to reverse the conviction and refusing to give back the money stolen from the enterprise and minority shareholders, the Makhlais filed an appeal against the judgement of the court of first instance; and now in this process they are using the proven tactics of delaying hearings. However, in addition to the desire to escape responsibility, there are other reasons behind such actions of the criminals that hide abroad.

Not only are the convicts themselves interested in canceling the guilty verdict. Sergei Makhlai's curator, a well-known person, arrived to the Samara Regional Court - US citizen Anthony V. Raftopol. He had appeared in the court of first instance as a representative of a civil defendant - the offshore Cypriot company Florenta Management Ltd., which owns a large block of shares in Transammiak JSC. This company owns the ammonia pipeline, which, according to the investigation, was used by the defendants in the scheme for the abduction of ammonia manufactured by PJSC ToAZ.

Raftopol's behavior and track record clearly identify the sphere of his activity. He definitely works for the US intelligence agencies: he knows five languages, he refused to give the court his home address saying that he lives somewhere in Dubai. His track record includes oil companies in Iraq, Iran, Libya, and Syria. Moreover, his arrival to these regions strangely coincides with the periods of war outbreaks in these territories.

At the hearing in the Samara Court on October 18, he fully confirmed the tactic of the process delaying - he wanted to file a motion during the judge's report, he was temporarily denied consideration because the case report was going on. Later, Raftopol filed a petition for the issuance of a copy of the case file to him; however, the court refused to satisfy it since copies had already been issued.

Since Sergey Makhlai (aka Serge Makhlai, George Mack) is supervised by the FBI in the United States (Mahlai is actively replenishing the budget of the Bahamas venture fund, which was created by retired FBI employees, in other words, he actually pays for his protection), there is a good reason to believe that he is their man. Such structures have a special interest in monitoring the Togliattiazot trial in Russia: most likely, Sergey, or Serge as his overseas patrons call him, corrupts FBI officials. For example, Michael Spiritus is paid as the financial director of Ameropa AG, which owned Nitrochem Distribution AG that used to be an exclusive trader of ToAZ and placed the plant in absolutely enslaving position. All parties to this conspiracy are afraid that information about the bribes received from Makhlai will be disclosed. In this case, the US "partners" will suffer too.

In this sense, the recent scandal in the US with the son of former vice president Joe Biden, who is accused of gaining corrupt income in Ukraine, is significant. The main goal of Makhlai's FBI curators is not only to avoid the disclosure of their corrupt ties with George Mack but also not to lose their source of income from Togliattiazot; these people have been claiming their share of profit from sales of its products for many years.

There is no doubt that, as in the case of Joe Biden, the corruption ties between Anthony Raftopol, Michael Spiritus, other ex-FBI officers and Sergei Makhlai will emerge eventually, and then these persons will not get away with a juicy scandal only. Anti-corruption legislation of both Russia and the United States provides for the most stringent measures against corrupt officials, regardless of their ranks and offices. It is very possible that the exposure of this lesion of corruption will cause another diplomatic conflict between the countries, and the intelligence agencies do not like this at all.

Now we only have to add that according to eyewitnesses, on Friday, October 18, after the court hearings, a meeting of the lawyers of the convicts with the participation of Raftopol was held in one of the restaurants in Samara, where they discussed the tactics of their further opposition to Russian justice.

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Bolivia's Presidential Election: High Tension All Over the Country

Bolivia's Presidential Election: High Tension All Over the Country 

People attacked and bleeding, public institutions burning. A government official hanging on the window not to die burned fell from the third floor of the Electoral Court. Carlos Mesa, President Evo Morales opponent, has been inciting violence. Shocking images all over Bolivia after Morales' re-election, for the fourth time. The opposition across the country is promising much more. Increasing and frightful hate has taken the South American country in the last months, fueled by the mainstream media and obscure powers. Where does Bolivia go toward?

In Bolivia, truth does not matter so much, it does not come first especially to President Evo Morales's opposition, the Washington regime-backed right-wing. Emotion comes first. Deep hate, in many cases an open sentiment by those who condemn in others, in many cases without proof, exactly what their leaders did once in power, and even does as opposition leaders. 

Discrimination, manipulation, and corruption: their hallmark in the South American country. As elites everywhere in the now too effervescent region.

Currently in Santa Cruz de la Sierra city, this Brazilian reporter feels like being in the too hateful Brazil on the eve of the coup against then-President Dilma Rousseff in 2016, and during Michel Temer's black years (2016-2018) which paved the way to the fascist Jair Bolsonaro. Dialogue has been impossible in Bolivia, stuck in a hateful social division.

Lies are heard everywhere in Bolivia. Too intensively. One cannot trust anyone here when politics is the subject, much worse performance from the local opposition about it. But in general, both sides are lying.

Bolivia, 14 years after Morales' first election, is far from being the modernized country heralded by part of alternative media which will be largely approached later, in another report. There is no revolution, neither a Change Process as it is often said, inside and outside the country especially by the left. But the nation now has hope. 

Bolivia has now a relatively stable economy and politics, a more respected country all over the world; the current president has taken millions out of poverty and extreme poverty. All this, as the nation never lived before. The Morales administration advocates for Latin American integration, he has given minorities and indigenous people (historically forgotten and massacred) more rights, and strongly opposes the U.S. imperialism. If there is hope for Bolivia, that means having Evo Morales in the Presidency.

The Historian and Journalist Carlos Mesa from the Citizen Community, Morales' principal opponent, was vice-president during Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada's dark years: a pro-IMF President from 2002 to 2004 who massacred more than 70 peasants, simply paid Mesa to be his vice. After Lozada's escape, Mesa took power until resigns six months later.

So the Bolivian historian and journalist, now losing the presidential election to Morales in the first round, means retrocession to the once poorest country in the region. 

The election process was peaceful last Sunday. But on the following day, a foreseen terror started. No matter the election results. Mesa incited street mobilizations, leading to violence at vote-counting stations: opposition protesters have burned ballots, buildings where counting was taking place, and Electoral Courts across the country. 

As the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Washington regime have questioned the legitimacy of the result which re-elects Evo Morales, several international observers have praised the legitimacy and transparency of the Bolivian electoral process.  

Shortly after Evo Morales was re-elected with 46.86 percent of the votes against 36.73 percent to Carlos de Mesa, considered 95.03 percent of votes counted from within Bolivia and across the world, violence is spreading all over the country since Monday evening: people attacked and bleeding, public institutions burning, a government official hanging on the window not to die burned fell from the third floor of the building.

The opposition promises much more: from Wednesday's midnight, Mesa voters who supposedly advocate for democracy ban every citizen from leaving home, and trades to open doors under the threat of aggression and destruction, for an indefinite time all over Bolivia.

This reporter talked to both sides last Tuesday. An opposition leader in the afternoon at Santa Cruz de la Sierra's central square called 24 de Septiembre, said: "There will surely be dead people [in the curfew], but we are not going to cede, this is the only way [to ensure a runoff]." 

At the back of the square, a group of young people carefully watching the place, pointed out the same way: violence. Friendly, sweet boys when the interlocutor is prone to listening to them, they require President Evo Morales to accept a runoff or resign. 

A few hours later in that Tuesday afternoon, talking to a Morales voter who owns a store in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, he answered when asked about how the current deadlock situation could end: "Only through a conflict," he said. Not because that Morales's supporter wishes it, but conflict really seems the only way in Bolivia now. Another dead-end South American nation?

As mentioned above, a lie and hate campaign by the right-wing had started in the country much before the electoral process. Such a campaign includes many religious leaders, recalling the military coups in Latin American which relied on the dominant and domineering religion which manipulate, as no other institution, the collective imaginary.

So what happens now was predictable months ago, when this reporter, as a voice in the desert, announced it. From a year ago, Bolivia strongly smells violence. It smells a coup in Bolivia, for a long time. 

What comes in Morales favor, among other things to be approached in another piece, is that unlike Brazil he has not a rogue "Sergio Moro" character in his way. Nor Bolivia has a Public Ministry as Brazil has, capable of orchestrating a lawfare and a coup against the first indigenous president of the Bolivian history: the Movement towards Socialism (the official party) has coopted the Bolivian Justice system, unlike former Brazilian President Lula who provided Brazil's Judiciary more independence. Against Morales, the same regarding the Brazilian case which has taught us a bitter lesson: the current Bolivian government has not politicized the people.

As certain as there is an invisible hand working in (and against) Bolivia's too weak democracy, the near future is completely uncertain here.

Photo:

By La Prensa Gráfica Noticias de El Salvador - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YabQlKrltyc, CC BY 2.5, https://ift.tt/2BEc96X

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Kurds and ethnic cleansing – no countries for Western men

Currently the latest Great Scramble is on in the Middle East. Land and resources are being carved up yet again though mercifully this time without any participation of the United States.

President Trump surprisingly (even astonishingly) kept his word about getting America out of this tribal squabble long enough for Turkey to make its move against the Kurds whom they regard as terrorists.

Am I Not a Man? - Who are the Kurds

It is far beyond the scope of this review to delve into the history of the Kurds though there are a few minor details to be made about these gentlefolk before turning to fields further West.

One, the Turks (for whom this writer has little to zero empathy) consider the Kurds to be terrorists. As the Kurds routinely carry out attacks on them this view is not unwarranted.

Two, the Kurds have a pretty interesting history if one considers committing genocide goodtime fun. They played an enormous role in what most refer to as The Armenian Genocide. Basically, when the Turks wanted to massacre Armenian Christians they promised the Kurds the property of whomsoever they killed. The little dears went on to obliterate between 700,000 and 1.5 million.

Three, the Kurds have been whining for American help for decades. They always whine. It seems to be the main occupation of Kurds. Wanting your own country is understandable (as seen below), but begging for someone else to build it for you for the better part of a half century is just annoying.

Four, during Soviet times the Kurds and the Yazidis were registered as separate ethnicities. Even so, they comingled and are often considered a united entity though having distinct aspects. So who are the Yazidis you ask? Devil worshipers. Seriously, they worship the Devil himself. While not a proponent of ethnic cleansing, to the extent it happens to anyone, these are among the least sympathetic of victims.

Some - Larger and Worse - Ethnic Cleanings Currently Ongoing the Media Loves

So this is who American media tears are spent on when its halfwits lament the Kurds and their Yazidi chums - genocidal terrorists and Devil worshippers.

Strangely, at precisely the same time a few thousand Kurds have to put their incessant complaining on hold for a few days to accommodate Media Martyrdom, there are other far worse crimes being committed which are met with complete journalistic silence.

FACT: In 1960 Miami, Florida was 85% Traditional American. By 2010 Miami, Florida was 70% Hispanic, 15% Black and a little over 5% Traditional American.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 Chicago, Illinois was about 80% Traditional American. By 2010 Chicago, Illinois was 30% Hispanic, 32% Black, 5% Asian and only 45% Traditional American.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 New York City, New York was 90% Traditional American. By 2010 New York City, New York was 26% Hispanic, 26% Black, 13% Asian and but 33% Traditional American.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 Los Angeles, California was 80% Traditional American. By 2010 Los Angeles, California was 48% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 9% Black and otherwise displaced down to 28% Traditional American.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 London, England was nearly 90% Traditional British. By 2010 London, England was more than 40% Asian (Arab or Other Muslim) and around 10% Black while a mere 50% remained Traditional British.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 Paris, France was approximately 95% Traditional French. By 2010 Paris, France was 23% Black, 6% Other Races, 1% Asian and a very rapidly dwindling 67% Traditional French. (Purely coincidentally, France officially bars collection of demography by race.)

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 Berlin, Germany was 90% Traditional German. By 2010 Berlin, Germany was 30% foreign born. (This does NOT include the multi-millions of Muslim invaders since 2013 which are predicted to increase among the ethnically replaced German population from 6% to nearly 20% of the total in coming years.)

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT ETHNIC CLEANSING

FACT: In 1960 Stockholm, Sweden was almost 100% Traditional Swedish. By 2010 Stockholm, Sweden was over 27% foreign born from such charming localities as Iraq and Iran with less than 76% Traditional Swedish.

MEDIA VERDICT: NOT GENOCIDE

Recently, Turkish President Erdogan threatened the nations of Europe if they interfered with his machinations he would flood them with millions more refugees than those previously foisted on the Continent. Per usual, the callow European reply was hand-wringing in the extremis - and nothing else.

Observant readers might have noticed Moscow was not listed in the above Roll Call of Shame. Without any evidence of it, this correspondent strongly supposes Erdogan at some point tried the same antics with the Kremlin to which Putin probably said something along the lines...

"Da, you could send millions of your refugees to us through Georgia. Yet Comrade, please explain how will they traverse the Radioactive Zone after we obliterate Constantinople with our atomic bombs?"

Upon which, the sly Turkish Tyrant turned his shifty eyes toward Merkel - all too eager to betray her own People.

Parting Shot from a Media Moron

Of all the ludicrous examples of American newsreader nonsense there is (as is often the case) none more idiotic than Soledad O'Brien.

For those not familiar with the former CNN anchor, O'Brien has made a quasi-career, in-between her frequent firings, as a pseudo-Latina always ready to excoriate Traditional Americans for...well, building the country she is so desperate to have her cohorts colonize.

(Fun Fact: Soledad does not actually speak Spanish herself, that level of heavy-lifting being too far outside the intellectual abilities of one of America's foremost Latinx propagandists.)

On October 17, 2019, O'Brien was eager to raise an outcry of lament for her tender Kurds. She wrote in part, "Now that the ethnic cleansing (sic) of the Kurds is underway - has anyone checked on the White College Educated Women who voted for Trump?"

As can be seen from the preceding, Soledad, I checked on them - they, and tens of millions of other Westerners, have been actually ethnically cleansed by those who flee cesspits in search of anywhere others created the Civilization that lesser "culture" is incapable of replicating.

Talk about your Devil worshippers.

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Kashmir and India’s centre of gravity

The Union of India's ostensible Centre of Gravity (COG), its Unity, is under direct threat by multiple forces; the two most critical ones being the brazen imposition of the divisive, fascist, supremacist and racist Hindutva ideology by the present Modi Government and the plethora of separatist/independence movements raging within. Its importance in a multiracial, multi-ethnic, multireligious, multilingual conglomerate of vastly distinct nationalities cannot be overstated.

The COG is generally defined as the source of power that provides a nation or its militaries the moral or physical strength, freedom of action and/or will to act. In other words, it is the source of all strength. A nation's COG is determined by considering whether destroying, neutralizing or substantially weakening or degrading it will create a "ripple or cascading effect" resulting in the progressive deterioration of its morale, cohesion and will to fight and thereby prevent it from accomplishing its objectives.(Wikipedia).

India's apparent COG could thus be converted into a critical vulnerability too; there are fissures within the Union as many states/peoples seek independence. Furthermore, this critical vulnerability can morph into a fatal vulnerability when attacked and destroyed from within; deliberately or by default. The RSS-BJP-Modi Government is doing exactly this while fanatically implementing its divisive and contentious RSS-Hindutva ideology.

Hindutva is the guiding ideology of the Sangh Parivaar with which the RSS, BJP, Bajrang Dal, VHP and Shiv Sena are closely associated. It has been defined as a majoritarian political ideology and far right ethnonationalist movement that uses religion as a justification for atrocities against all non-Hindus, including Muslims, Dalits (the Untouchables), Christians, Sikhs, Ravidassias, Buddhists etc. It uses the claim to faith to distract from its economic agenda to concentrate power and resources in the hands of the upper oppressor castes. (Alliance for Justice and Accountability, Wikipedia).

The original paradigms of erstwhile India's union are crumbling under the weight of PM Modi's (mis)rule. A massive shift is already underway with divisions on religious, ethnic and linguistic fault lines emerging emphatically. PM Modi wants to forcefully redefine the paradigms that will henceforth determine the contours of the Indian society and lay down a new order of precedence within it. Hindutva does not seek equality amongst Indians but instead intends to install a system whereby all non-Hindus are to be subservient to a domineering, exclusive class of Upper Caste Hindus within a Hindu Rashtra-Akhand Bharat milieu. In effect, the Hindu caste system is being gradually spread to bring all non-Hindu Indians into its diabolical web and subject them to its "pre-ordained albeit inhuman-inhumane social pecking order" too! These divisive efforts will further alienate all non-Hindus including the Dalits and the saner elements in the Indian body politic and society. In conformity with the RSS-Hindutva ideology, the division of the Indian society into dominant Hindu and subservient non-Hindu factions appears ominously imminent!

Historically, the fragmentation and disintegration of large empires (the British Empire, for one) and large unwieldy countries (USSR, Yugoslavia, etc) has always started at their fringes, far away from the centres of power and Government. India's other critical vulnerability stems forth from its geographical extremes, too. There are a number of states/nationalities within the Union of India that seek independence from it. The major ones with proactive freedom movements are IOJ&K, (now ostensibly a Union Territory), Punjab-Khalistan (Referendum 2020!), both in the West-Northwest, the Seven Sister States in the North East and all those in the Red Corridor (eleven states) along the Eastern fringe of India. It thus becomes imperative for India to ensure that no one state, least of all Kashmir, breaks away from the Union as that would initiate that "ripple-cascading effect" which will give an unstoppable impetus to the other independence movements. That will generate critical existentialist threats to the Indian Union. That explains India's brutal, ruthless and relentless state terrorism against all these independence movements, especially in IOJ&K where eight million Kashmiris are forcibly incarcerated, incommunicado, by about a million Indian soldiers!

India's perceptible COG, its Unity, is thus under threat from these two (amongst others) centrifugal forces; they threaten to rip and rend its Unity, its national cohesiveness apart. The strategic implications (ripple-cascading effects) of this will be colossal, nay decisive on the preservation of the Union of India. Its consequential ramifications will recast regional and global power politics, anew.

Kashmir's geostrategic and geopolitical importance is epitomized by the clash of the vital interests of three nuclear powers, (China included) there. The UN/UNSC/international community realize the strategic connotations of this most sensitive global nuclear flashpoint and counsel its peaceful resolution. However, by abrogating constitutional Articles 370 and 35A PM Modi has virtually invalidated the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration and foreclosed all bilateralism on the issue. The only sane and plausible recourse, short of (nuclear) war, is the implementation of UNSC Resolutions on Kashmir, meaning thereby a Plebiscite there. If the Muslim majority Kashmiris opt for Pakistan, as they most likely will, that will trigger that fearsome "ripple-cascading effect", causing all the other states seeking independence from India to justifiably claim similar Rights to Self Determination. The Indians cannot afford this. Kashmir thus emerges as the trigger to events that could potentially unravel the Union of India. PM Modi has ventured into a virtual geopolitical minefield by his strategic faux pas in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and is predictably unsure of his next step. He is in a no-win situation. Maintaining status quo or bludgeoning the Kashmiris into submission are both unviable options.

Thus, an RSS inspired, polarized and discriminating socio-politico system and the numerous proactive independence movements will encourage many more disruptive centrifugal forces. Together, they will make the Indian Union potentially untenable. India must resolve the IOJ&K issue peacefully and under the UN/UNSC Resolutions, else it will remain hopelessly fixed and fixated upon nuclear Pakistan, and unable to reach its potential at the regional/extra regional levels. There is no other plausible alternative.

Or does PM Modi, in his wisdom believe, erroneously, that he has already brought the Kashmir issue to a possible closure and dealt the Kashmiris, Pakistan and the UN/UNSC/international community a fait accompli?

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Six practices to help new forex traders avoid losses

Forex market is simpler compared to the stock market. You buy currencies and sell them for a profit. It sounds quite simple in the definition, and it is; however, one needs to study and experience the forex market before he can earn from it. Many people make their living off forex market, and they're doing a pretty good job. On the other hand, a lot of people face a terrible loss at the beginning of their journey. Here I've shared a few useful practices to follow when getting started with forex trading to avoid any loss.

Study the Market

You need to have a complete understanding of all currencies, their exchange rates, and everything else you should know about the market. Don't jump into the market like playing a gamble. Treat it like a business, and it will give you profit like a business. Only when you understand how to analyze charts and patterns and make decisions based on facts and figures should you make any investment.

Find a Good Broker

Forex doesn't have a central marketplace of its own, so most of its work is dependent on the brokers. A good and trustworthy broker is your most important tool in the forex market. There are plenty of individuals and firms that offer brokerage service, but not many of them are reliable. They can fool even the most experienced traders. You won't be able to earn your place in the market until you find the right broker. You should follow this useful guide on finding the best broker for currency trading.

Don't Get Overenthusiastic

Take one step at a time and don't get overenthusiastic seeing other people earn a lot of money. Many people make a big mistake of investing too much too soon. You should always start with a small investment. See how it goes and what new things you've learned. Every new professional should be more focused on learning than earning. Earning potential is unlimited once you make a stable position in forex trading that is based on strong concepts.

Start with a Demo Account

A demo or practice account helps you get ready for the trading without having to put real money on the stake. You can buy and sell currencies to see the outcome. While the currency rates are real, you aren't actually buying anything. It's a strongly recommended practice for new traders. You can start buying real currencies when you think you are ready for this.

Record Every Win and Loss

Keep a journal of all forex transactions from the day one you start trading. Record every loss and win in the journal along with instructions about what you have learned. This journal will help you in every step of forex trading. Each entry will make your next move smarter as it'll be based on stats and your analysis. You should also make sure that you get the right conclusion from each win and loss. You shouldn't be recording your feelings in the journal, but a tip or useful information. You might get depressed with a loss and end up writing something that isn't based on facts. Write with one thing mind that each entry will impact on your next decision.

Study the Tax and Treatments

As mentioned above, forex trading should be treated as a business if you plan to earn from it. Just like any other source of income, there are involved taxes and commissions after every profit. Some taxes might come as a surprise if you haven't studied about them. Be sure you consider all tax and treatments when trading currencies to ensure a good profit.

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US Syria Pullout Leaves Troops in North and South

US Syria Pullout Leaves Troops in North and South

US aggression, occupation and control of Syrian territory is a flagrant UN Charter breach - a hard truth establishment media ignore, falsely blaming Bashar al-Assad for US-led imperial high crimes committed against his country. 

The same goes for US actions in other war theaters - nations smashed for not subordinating their sovereign rights to Washington's interests.

Endless US-orchestrated and/or led aggression rages in Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen, as well as intermittently in Iraq and Libya.

There's no near-term resolution in these countries because restoration of peace and stability to active war theaters defeats Washington's imperial aims, served by endless wars and chaos.

In the Middle East, US-led aggression also serves Israel's aim to become the second leading regional power as junior partner to Washington's dominant presence. 

Russia's intervention in Syria changing the dynamic on the ground, US inability to topple Iran's government, and effectiveness of Yemeni Houthis against Pentagon/CIA-orchestrated Saudi aggression foiled US/Israeli regional aims.

Before withdrawal of unclear numbers of US forces from northern Syria cross-border to Iraq, Pentagon troops controlled around 30% of the country. 

Unknown numbers of US forces continue to unlawfully control southern Syrian territory near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders, no plans to withdraw them.

The highly publicized withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria was partial, unknown numbers remaining in control of Syrian oil producing areas on the phony pretext of protecting them from the scourge of ISIS the US created and supports.

Bipartisan hardliners in Washington want Syrian ruling authorities prevented from earning vitally needed revenues for the country's oil fields.

On Monday, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited a Times of London report about Turkey using banned white phosphorous, able to burn flesh to the bone on contact, in its northern Syria aggression against Kurdish YPG fighters.

On the same day, Czech MP Tomio Okamura accused Turkish forces of committing war crimes in northern Syria, adding evidence shows its military's use of jihadist proxies in its offensive.

Deputy head of the Czech parliament's defense committee Radovan Feikh condemned Turkish aggression - OK'd by the Trump regime, a scheme by Washington and Ankara to partition and control Syria.

Separately, Fars News reported that "US army helicopters have been sighted in heavy operation in Syria's northern province of Hasaka since Sunday morning as eyewitness accounts said the choppers are taking large groups of (ISIS) takfiri terrorists away."

In Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the Pentagon and CIA use ISIS, al-Qaeda, and likeminded jihadists as imperial foot soldiers - arming, funding, training, directing, and transporting them to areas where the US wants them used.

On Tuesday, Turkey's Erdogan and Vladimir Putin are meeting in Sochi to discuss the situation in Syria, a Kremlin statement saying both leaders will address "normalization" of the country's northeast, along with "countering international terrorist groups and promoting the political settlement process."

Ankara is part of the problem, not the solution in Syria, because of Erdogan's revanchist aim to control northern territory bordering Turkey, especially oil-producing areas - putting him at odds with similar US aims and Russia wanting Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity preserved and protected.

On Saturday, Erdogan said if "promises to Turkey are not fulfilled, we won't be waiting as before. We will be going ahead with the operation and will keep on" combatting Kurds for control of northern Syrian territory.

His so-called "Operation Peace Spring" has nothing to do with peace, nothing to do with combatting terrorism, nothing to do with Turkish security, everything to do with wanting northern Syrian territory annexed.

The situation in the country's north and elsewhere remains fluid, resolving years of US-launched aggression unattainable because bipartisan hardliners in Washington reject it.

Photo: https://ift.tt/32FjGyn

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US Syria Pullout? A Saigon Moment?

US Syria Pullout? A Saigon Moment? 

The 1972 Church/Case amendment ended congressional funding for US military operations in Southeast Asia - except for withdrawal of Pentagon forces, subject to release of prisoners of war.

In June 1973, congressional legislation ended all funding after August 15. After escalating Southeast Asia war to Cambodia and Laos, wanting it ended was a key reason why US dark forces sought Nixon's removal from office. 

Threatening entrenched military/industrial/security and other interests marked him for removal

- Trump targeted the same way now. Dems, CIA elements, and supportive media also want revenge for winning an election he was supposed to lose.

On April 30, 1975, US forces completed their withdrawal from the rooftop of its Saigon embassy, ending over a decade of aggression against a nonbelligerent state threatening no one.

The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized war without declaring it, based on a false flag incident. 

All wars are based on Big Lies and deception. Truth and full disclosure would destroy pretexts for launching them.

Congress can end all US wars of aggression today the way lawmakers acted in the 1970s by cutting off funding without which they can't be waged.

Congressional profiles in courage are few and far between - Tulsi Gabbard the only anti-war/progressive presidential aspirant for world peace, stability and social justice in either wing of the one-party state.

The vast majority of House and Senate members support endless US wars. Since the Clinton co-presidency's rape of Yugoslavia, countless trillions of dollars were spent for militarism, warmaking, and the Pentagon's global empire of bases, used as platforms for war if ordered - at the expense of vital homeland needs and eroding social justice.

The US came to all its war theaters to stay - directly the way Douglas MacArthur ran Japan from 1945 - 1951, by installing puppet regimes serving its interests, or a combination of both strategies as in Afghanistan and Iraq, their people exploited and otherwise abused.

According to US war secretary Mark Esper, Pentagon forces in northern Syria aren't coming home. They're being redeployed cross-border to (occupied) Iraq.

US troops illegally occupying and controlling southern areas in Syria near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders remain in place.

Esper falsely claimed that redeployed US forces to Western Iraq will protect the country and combat ISIS, saying:

The plan "is to help defend Iraq (sic) and...to perform a counter-ISIS mission (sic) as we sort through the next steps. Things could change between now and whenever we complete the withdrawal, but that's the game plan right now."

Asked if US special forces will remain in Syria after the northern cross-border redeployment, Esper said it's an option to be discussed with US (imperial) allies, adding: "(W)e have to work through those details."

Since Bush/Cheney's 2003 Iraq aggression, US forces continue to illegally occupy and exploit the country, a puppet regime serving its interests.

Along with al-Qaeda, its al-Nusra offshoot in Syria, and likeminded terrorist groups, the US created ISIS, supporting the scourge as proxy troops it pretends to combat - backed by Pentagon-led terror-bombing, including destruction of vital infrastructure in Syria and elsewhere.

Since Obama launched aggression on Syria in early 2011, US plans for wanting overwhelmingly popular Bashar al-Assad replaced by pro-Western puppet rule remain unchanged.

It's part of a greater US/NATO/Israeli strategy to redraw the Middle East map, what the scourge of imperialism is all about, including horrendous human rights abuses against affected populations.

The road to Tehran runs through Damascus. In August 2011, Michel Chossudovsky explained the following:

"The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (falsely)  categorizes Syria as a 'rogue state,' as a country which supports terrorism," adding: 

"A US-NATO sponsored war on Iran would involve, as a first step, a destabilization campaign ('regime change') including covert intelligence operations in support of rebel forces directed against the Syrian government." 

"An extended Middle East Central Asian war has been on the Pentagon's drawing board since the mid-1990s."

"As part of this extended war scenario, the US-NATO alliance plans to wage a military campaign against Syria under a UN sponsored 'humanitarian mandate.' "

Things haven't gone as planned, mainly because of Russia's September 2015 intervention at the request of Damascus to aid its military combat US-supported terrorists.

Moscow's involvement changed the dynamic on the ground, preventing Washington from gaining control of Syria and isolating Iran regionally.

Most of the country was liberated from US-supported terrorists, Idlib province controlled by thousands of al-Nusra jihadists the main exception.

US tactics for controlling Syria changed because of Russia's involvement, not its war party's imperial objectives - aiming for unchallenged regional control by replacing sovereign governments in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iran with pro-Western puppet regimes, similar to US control of Afghanistan and Iraq.

That's where things now stand. Russia foiled the best laid US plans. Yet bipartisan policymakers in Washington support endless war, rejecting restoration of peace and stability to Syria and other US war theaters.

Trump falsely claimed he's "(b)ringing soldiers home" from Syria. Around 3,000 more are heading to Saudi Arabia, increasing the Pentagon's regional footprint.

Note: The US/Turkey deal announced last week includes no restrictions on Pentagon-led NATO/IDF terror-bombing of Syrian sites.

It's further evidence of endless US-led war in Syria - begun nine years ago next March with no near-term prospect for resolution.

A Final Comment

There are world's apart differences between US 1960s/70s Southeast Asia war and its involvement in Syria today.

Notably, there were hundreds of thousands of Pentagon forces involved in Vietnam combat, thousands returned home in body bags, reported by US media - especially by CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite.

On February 27, 1968 at the end of his nightly newscast, he editorialized on air for three minutes against the war, ending his anti-war commentary, saying:

"(I)t is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out...will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people...This is Walter Cronkite. Good night."

At the time, Lyndon Johnson said if he lost Cronkite, he lost middle America. Shortly afterwards, he announced that he wouldn't seek reelection in November 1968.

No Walter Cronkites in the US report on air or in print today, a major difference between earlier and now.

The main difference between both eras is how Washington wages wars - earlier with US combat troops on the ground in large numbers through Bush/Cheney's 2003 Iraq aggression.

Since then, ISIS and other terrorists serve as US proxy forces, small numbers of Pentagon troops supporting them, along with terror-bombing by US and allied warplanes.

In addition, reporters are embedded with US troops in various venues, their war reporting amounting to Pentagon press releases.

Photo: By Dirck Halstead - U.S. Marines in Japan Homepage [1] photo 050516-m-3509k-007 [2], Public Domain, https://ift.tt/31CEqVX

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Donald Trump is going insane

Donald Trump is going insane

In several previous articles I’ve written for Pravda.Report, I have analogized the rise of George W. Bush and Donald Trump to the highest office in United States government to the rise of Adolph Hitler in Germany.

While I did this with the realization and understanding that, to many people, Hitler represents a unique form of evil, I felt the world would be remiss if they forgot the political tactics and circumstances that allowed Hitler to obtain power, and that many of these tactics and circumstances have contributed to the rise of both Bush Jr. and Trump.

Since Bush Jr. is no longer in office (although his war crimes and use of torture must be eternally condemned, since, thanks to the corruption of the United States legal system, he will never be prosecuted), this article will focus on Trump’s rise to power. First and foremost, it must be remembered that Hitler did not arise in a vacuum: Germany was in the throes of an economic depression; political groups on both the extreme left and the extreme right were vying for power; racism and anti-Semitism were on the rise; and there was lingering bitterness not only over Germany’s defeat in World War I, but also a treaty that much of the German citizenry believed to be unduly punitive and oppressive. In short, the perfect storm for a demagogue and tyrant. Still, despite these circumstances, the Nazi party only received 40% of the vote.

Trump also benefitted from a similar perfect storm: Many Americans were tired and frustrated with “establishment” politics and politicians that were increasingly being viewed as ineffectual and corrupt; this view was reinforced when, just eleven days before the election, then-FBI director James Comey announced a “reopening” of an investigation into Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton’s purported illegal use of an e-mail account; white supremacists and nationalists were still embittered that an African-American man had won the presidency; and there was a belief that a Clinton victory would not only prolong the wars America was currently involved in, but spawn others as well. Still, despite these circumstances, Clinton received almost three million more votes than Trump, but still lost thanks to an archaic abomination known as the Electoral College, which, since the turn of the century, has paved the way for America, and the world, to suffer under two of the worst and most corrupt presidents in United States history—Bush Jr. and Trump. In addition to these circumstances, Hitler, Bush Jr., and Trump also used similar tactics to achieve their so-called “victories.” Since Bush Jr.’s machinations have been discussed in my previous articles, the focus will be on Trump. Both Hitler and Trump employed the tactic of scapegoating.

This tactic is used to dupe people into believing there are simple solutions to complex problems. This is done by blaming a group of people, usually a racial and/or religious minority, for being the cause of said problems. Hitler did this not only with the Jewish population, but also the Romani, Poles, Russians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the disabled, and gays and lesbians. Trump did this during his campaign by vilifying immigrants from Mexico, and Central and South America, and, after he took office, African-Americans who protested the injustices inherent in the United States legal system, as well as gays and lesbians. A tragic, but almost certain, offspring of scapegoating is that people become bitterly divided, with members of the race, religion, and/or sexual orientation the “leader” supports considering themselves “superior,” while those unlike them are considered “inferior.”

This naturally increases the incentive for the supposed “superior” group to insult, abuse, assault, and even murder members of the supposed “inferior” group. Trump incessantly fuels this divide by zealously defending the “free speech” rights of those who espouse his views, while seeking to silence those who disagree with him. In fact, at the time of this writing, Trump is threatening to sue CNN for having the audacity to criticize him, while frequently praising his sycophants on the Faux (FOX) News Network who fight like jackals for the opportunity to plant their noses squarely in Trump’s flatulent behind. Both Trump and Hitler also exploit the human tendency to place emotion before reason.

As Hitler wrote, “The driving force of the most important changes in this world has been found less in scientific knowledge animating the masses but rather in a fanaticism dominating them and in a hysteria which drives them forward.” Both have accomplished this through the use of “great lies.” The “great lie theory” contends that, while people will recognize “ordinary” lies told by their leaders, they often fail to recognize “great” lies, due to the belief that, according to Hitler, people “would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” One drawback to this theory is that intellectuals and academics who place their principles above politics can and do often recognize “great lies.” While Hitler’s remedy was simply to have these people imprisoned and/or murdered, Trump (probably much to his chagrin) doesn’t have this luxury.

So, his alternative is to simply holler “Fake News” about every comment or story that exposes his dishonesty, knowing that the mindless members of his cult will neither make the effort nor have the integrity to find the truth for themselves. However, while the circumstances and tactics that Trump used to obtain power might serve as a historical harbinger to prevent the ascendancy of similar demagogues and tyrants in America’s future, the fact remains that he is here, which makes the analogies between him and Hitler even more frightening. During his final days, with the Red Army closing in, Hitler stewed in his bunker, pushing imaginary German troops around on maps, berating his generals as “traitors,” and, quite simply, drifting even deeper into madness. Yet, through it all, his toadies loyally stood by, ready to accommodate his every deranged desire, and placing the whims of a madman above the needs of their country.

While some portion of America’s media is now tenderly touching on the subject, almost all of them are terrified to say it aloud: Donald Trump is going insane. The evidence is clear and irrefutable, from Trump’s claims he is a “stable genius”; to his rantings about his “perfect” telephone call with the Ukrainian president; to his unhinged letter to the president of Turkey; to his cavalier dismissal of the long-suffering Kurds because “they didn’t help [America] with Normandy” (conveniently forgetting that, in the Soviet Union’s mind, millions of their citizens lost their lives because America and England delayed too long in opening up a significant Western Front); to claiming that it was his “great and unmatched wisdom” that led to his withdrawing American troops from northern Syria.

The important element to focus on in these irrational times is not what Trump is doing, but on what he is saying. He is clearly a psychotic, megalomaniacal monster with delusions of grandeur, and a narcissistic sense of self-importance. Just like Hitler, if Trump is not certifiably insane by now, he soon will be, with the Red Army, in the form of well-deserved impeachment proceedings, looming on his doorstep, as he pushes imaginary scenarios around on a map via his mindless, knee-jerk decisions, while condemning those who dare criticize him as “traitors.”

And, like Hitler, Trump’s toadies obsequiously stand by as he drifts further into madness—despicable people like Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell, Matt Gaetz, William Barr, and numerous others—who are more than willing to place the whims of a madman before the good of the nation. Who knows why they do so? Perhaps they believe they can turn Trump’s insanity to their own advantage; perhaps they are too egotistical and stubborn to admit they were wrong; perhaps they are simply ignorant, which is not out of the norm given some of the idiocy vomiting from their mouths.

The reason doesn’t manner. What matters is that America, considered to be one of the most powerful nations in the world, is in the grip of a madman, and there are both pundits and politicians who are willing to enable and perpetuate this madness for their own twisted reasons. If something isn’t done soon, it will only get worse.

David R. Hoffman, Legal Editor of Pravda.Report

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JSC URALCHEM’s official statement regarding false allegations spread through the media

Over the past week, a number of media outlets published a series of materials with false allegations tarnishing the business reputation of JSC URALCHEM and its management.

In these publications, published in some regional, federal and foreign media, URALCHEM is falsely accused of non-payment of taxes to the Russian budget and tax fraud, obtaining loans from state banks to siphon funds abroad, and misappropriation of natural resources. Baseless assumptions were made regarding the imminent bankruptcy of the company and its possible liquidation. In addition, a number of reports feature meritless accusations of corruption and attempts to influence tax and law enforcement agencies against the management of JSC URALCHEM.

URALCHEM states that the facts and figures featured in these publications and materials are false and are the authors' conjectures. These publications were devised to harm the company and have nothing to do with real business journalism.

We also want to officially state that URALCHEM is a bona fide taxpayer. All companies of the URALCHEM group undergo regular field and desk tax audits. Neither law enforcement agencies nor the Federal Tax Service accuse URALCHEM of non-payment and violations.

In order to protect its business reputation, URALCHEM reserves the right to take measures prescribed by the Russian law.

Igor Bulantsev, Deputy General Director, CFO of JSC "URALCHEM":

"Even using data from open sources like media publications, press releases on the URALCHEM website and others, the authors deliberately paltered with all the figures to mislead the readers. URALCHEM management is confident in its business prospects, we continue to invest in production capacities, modernization, create jobs and pay taxes to the treasuries of various levels. The company successfully implements a strategy for sustainable development, including investing in new businesses. We perceive as slander any allegation asserting the possible bankruptcy of URALCHEM and will consider holding authors and disseminators of false statements accountable through legal action."

On October 17, the Samara Regional Court begins the review of appeal against the conviction of the leaders of the criminal group, which includes former heads of PJSC "Togliattiazot" Sergey and Vladimir Makhlai, Evgeny Korolev, the owner of the Swiss company Ameropa AG Andreas Zivy and the director of the Swiss company Nitrochem Distribution AG Beat Ruprecht. Publication of articles featuring false allegations designed to discredit the dignity of URALCHEM company just before the start of appeal process is not coincidental. We are convinced that yet another smear campaign against URALCHEM and its management was deployed by the interested parties in to put a pressure on the court in an attempt to overturn the sentence.

We wish to remind that, as per the verdict delivered by the Komsomolsky District Court of Togliatti on July 5, 2019, the aforementioned defendants were convicted in absentia under part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code for large-scale collusive fraud. Thus, the defendants in this criminal case were found guilty of a crime against PJSC Togliattiazot and its minority shareholders. In the completed criminal process, URALCHEM, by filing a civil lawsuit, first defended the rights of the Togliattiazot plant itself and its workers. URALCHEM considers the court ruling to be reasonable, lawful and fair. The court ordered the defendants to pay PJSC Togliattiazot 77.3 billion rubles in damages, while URALCHEM is entitled to receive 10.3 billion rubles.

At the same time, the PJSC Togliattiazot management denies the fact of damage sustained by Togliattiazot; the defendants refuse to compensate for direct losses incurred by the plant, its minority shareholders and the state, which has an extremely negative impact on the development of the enterprise.

Money illegally withdrawn from the enterprise are spent to fund smear campaigns to discredit URALCHEM, paying for expensive media publications irrelevant to PJSC Togliattiazot core business, as well as for efforts to discredit investigative and judicial authorities.

About URALCHEM

URALCHEM is incorporated in the Russian Federation, and all its production assets are located within its borders. The main shareholder of URALCHEM, Uralchem Holding PLC, is registered in Cyprus and is not included in the offshore lists. The ownership structure is completely transparent.

Throughout its existence, URALCHEM has never been in arrears with loan payments or delinquent. URALCHEM always fulfills obligations to creditors, services its debt and continues its operations, as evidenced by its financial statements and the clean audit opinions that are presented to all business partners. There are no signs the company is nearing bankruptcy.

In case of dividend transfer from and to the Russian Federation, the payments are taxed at the source in the RF. When paying dividends, the party paying them immediately withholds the tax amount from them and pays it to the budget, therefore, there can be no signs of any tax deductions. In addition, all foreign companies of the URALCHEM group are subject to disclosure via special declarations as controlled foreign companies (CFCs), and their income is also taxed in the RF.

The company exercises its rights as a shareholder of PJSC Togliattiazot strictly compliant with the Federal Law "On Joint-Stock Companies". For seven years, URALCHEM has been seeking respect of shareholding rights from PJSC Togliattiazot management and cessation of unlawful activities in manufacturing and economic operations of the plant.   All actions undertaken by JSC URALCHEM in relation to the beneficiaries of PJSC Togliattiazot strictly comply with the Russian law.

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Millions Hungry and Food Insecure in the US

Millions Hungry and Food Insecure in the US

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Poverty, unemployment, underemployment, hunger, food insecurity, and overall deprivation affect million of households in the world's richest country USA.

Why? It's because both right wings of its war party devote most of the nation's discretionary income for militarism, maintaining the Pentagon's global empire of bases, and endless aggression in multiple theaters - along with bailouts for and handouts to corporate America.

In the new millennium alone, countless trillions of dollars went for the above interests, combined with tax cuts for the rich, while food stamps and other social justice programs are fast eroding to help pay for them as the national debt soars by over $1 trillion annually.

Most US households with one or more working members have little or no savings - leaving them vulnerable to hunger and homelessness from one or more missed paychecks.

According to Feeding America, 79% of US households the organization aids rely on "inexpensive unhealthy food to feed their families," 84% of households with children functioning this way.

The vast majority of Feeding America (FA) client households face unacceptable choices - 69% forced at times to choose between food and utilities, 66% between food and medical care, 31% between food and education.

Force-fed neoliberal harshness by Republicans and undemocratic Dems contributed to 58% of FA's client households having one or more members with high blood pressure, 33% affected by diabetes - these numbers much higher among households with seniors, 77% and 47% respectively.

Nearly half of FA client households have one or members in "fair or poor health."

Because of unemployment or poverty wages, one in six FA client households "experienced a foreclosure or eviction in the past five years."

The vast majority of FA client households are food insecure (84%) - without access to sufficient, affordable, nutritious food, at times going hungry.

According to the US Department of Agriculture in 2018, food insecurity affects 37 million Americans, including over 11 million children - the numbers likely way understated.

Feeding America explained that impoverished households and others above the poverty line experience food insecurity for inadequate ability to buy what's needed, adding:

"Food insecurity does not exist in isolation, as low-income families are affected by multiple, overlapping issues like lack of affordable housing, social isolation, chronic or acute health problems, high medical costs, and low wages." 

"Taken together, these issues are important social determinants of health" and well-being - fast deteriorating in the United States of I Don't Care, the world's richest country with the greatest wealth disparity among developed nations.

The state of the nation is shameful, serving its privileged class exclusively, exploiting most others to benefit its well-off members.

Food insecurity and hunger impact virtually "every community in the United States," said FA.

Do Something.org discussed "11 facts about hunger in the US," saying the following:

Around 40 million Americans experience hunger annually.

At least 15 million US households endure food insecurity.

Hunger is caused by poverty and inadequate financial resources, a nationwide problem.

Around 45 million Americans rely on food stamps, an eroding program providing inadequate help.

"1 in 6 American children may not know where their next meal is coming from."

"22 million children in America rely on the free or reduced-price lunch they receive at school, but as many as 3 million children still aren't getting the breakfast they need."

Food insecure children are at greater risk to develop physical and emotional health issues. They perform poorly academically and in physical activities.

Food insecurity affects both urban and rural areas nationwide.

People of color (Blacks and Latinos) are disproportionately affected by hunger and food insecurity.

The states with the highest rates of food insecurity are Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, and Oklahoma.

"(H)ouseholds with children ha(ve) a substantially higher rate of food insecurity" and hunger, said Do Something.org.

US Census data show around half of US households are impoverished or bordering it - a permanent underclass in the world's richest country, young children and the elderly most affected.

Poverty, homelessness, hunger, food insecurity, unaffordable healthcare, and overall deprivation affect countless millions of Americans.

It's the shame of the nation - a let 'em eat cake society, uncaring about the vast majority of its citizens.

VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Foto: By Sterling Communications from USA - we're in full swing, CC BY 2.0, https://ift.tt/2P5fR1F

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Cutthroat Capitalism. Makhlai’s Criminal Empire: From Dusk till Dawn

By Roman Krotov

On October 17, the Samara Regional Court will continue to consider the appeal of members of the ToAZ group. In July, the Togliatti Komsomolsky District Court found them guilty of a large-scale fraud committed as part of an organized criminal group. Vladimir Makhlai is a strikingly underrated figure in the criminal history of post-Soviet Russia. Having seized control of the most modern Soviet chemical plant Togliattiazot, he built his multi-billion-dollar empire stopping short of nothing - fraud, misappropriation, various criminal schemes - everything was good for him. Many representatives of the criminal business did not survive the 1990s, some have been in prison for a long time, and others have served and redeemed themselves. Yet, Vladimir Makhlai and his son Sergey, who adopted all of his father's methods, managed to remain virtually unpunished for almost three decades. However, it seems that Lady Justice now reached out to them.

The 'Red'Director who Appropriated the Plant

[In Russia, 'Red Directors' are those who have headed enterprises since Soviet times - ed.]

Vladimir Makhlai became ToAZ Director in 1985. After the collapse of the USSR, many 'red' directors of enterprises were left out of work, but not Makhlai. According to some reports, in Togliatti he met the notorious Boris Berezovsky, from whom he learned the basics of doing business, known as "privatization of profits and nationalization of losses". As Makhlai's acquaintances recall, he was obsessed with the idea of ​​taking possession of ToAZ, and at the lowest cost too. At that time, there were several schemes for enterprises privatizing, and in some unthinkable way, contrary to the decrees of the country's president and governmental regulations, Makhlai managed to privatize the giant ammonia plant using the third option designed for small businesses with up to 200 employees and fixed assets of up to 10,000 rubles. At that time, 5,000 workers worked for ToAZ, and estimated fixed assets were worth of hundreds of millions of rubles. Makhlai immediately got hold of a part of the shares; the other part was distributed among the employees. However, the workers did not rejoice for long: as the media wrote, the leadership persistently persuaded them to give up their shares, and if the persuasion did not help, threats and blackmail were used.

With the money of ToAZ itself, illegally withdrawn from accounting and taxation using the scheme for selling products through intermediary called AMOTOAZ, Makhlai apparently bought the shares and registered them for shell companies managed by his relatives. He incorporated AMOTOAZ in the USA without observing the procedures established by law that prescribed him to obtain permission from the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. He would hardly have managed to do this without the help of corrupt officials. The deputy head of the Samara Region Property Committee, Alexander Makarov, who apparently helped him in the implementation of the chemical giant privatization scheme, became Makhlai's economic assistant (and subsequently seemed to have fled abroad together with the latter from criminal prosecution). The chairperson of the Property Committee Vladimir Mamigonov for a long time had been a member of the board of directors of ToAZ. The future director of the plant, Yevgeny Korolev, who also kept the register of its shareholders, also used to work in the Committee - this is possible only under 'cutthroat capitalism'. Reporting to Makhlai, he was responsible for the register of the enterprise shareholders, and apparently, he maintained it in the way necessary for his boss - the shareholders disliked by the management at some point could simply 'evaporate'. Usually ordinary workers were thrown out of the register, but the same fate befell a foreign investor Eurotoaz Limited.

As Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote back in 1998 in an article titled "Scam," the workers and shareholders fully felt all aspects of the enterprise's work under the leadership of Vladimir Makhlai: as soon as he took possession of ToAZ, the headcount reduced drastically, equipment was already extremely worn out, and dividends were not paid.

The Vengeance of 'Fantomases'

The structure of ToAZ ownership was shrouded in a veil of secrecy, and Makhlai, apparently, was ready to even kill so that these secrets would not come out. The fate of a certain individual named Elena Povalyaeva, who became Makhlai's mistress, is representative. According to media reports, he rented an apartment for her, where he also kept important documents and information (about the real shareholders of ToAZ and the Transammiak Export Pipeline manager, the register of shareholders, and other information important for Makhlai). Subsequently, Elena Povalyaeva died. It was rumored that she was murdered. Since contract murders are extremely difficult to solve, Povalyaeva's death could remain a mystery. But in 2012, one of the former members of the notorious Togliatti 'Fantomases' gang, Evgeny Kutminov, who is serving a life sentence in the Black Dolphin correctional colony for other crimes, apparently decided to ease his conscience and said that the woman was allegedly killed by his accomplices. How many more people in Togliatti suffered Povalyaeva's fate, one can only guess. For example, the murders of journalists Valery Ivanov and Alexei Sidorov, who tried to investigate the Makhlais' cases, are still unsolved.

Feeling like a full owner of the plant, Makhlai started looking for new ways to channel ToAZ profits to offshore. In 2001, the plant entered into an agreement for a period of 20 years with the Swiss company Nitrochem Distribution AG, a subsidiary of Ameropa AG, first owned by Makhlai's friend Felix Zivi, and after his death by his son Andreas Zivi. This was a partner to match Makhlai, a man with a rather dubious reputation. In 2015, the media wrote that Andreas Zivi was summoned to the Oslo prosecutor's office to testify in a case involving  bribing Libyan officials in order to enjoy preferences when selling chemical products in that country. As it turned out during the investigation of the case, in March 2007, Nitrochem acting on behalf of the Norwegian chemical company Yara transferred $1.5 million to the Swiss account, which at that time belonged to the son of Libya's oil minister Shukri Ghanem, who later disappeared and was found dead in the Danube. In this episode, Nitrochem was sentenced to a fine of 750,000 Swiss francs.

Swiss Servitude

The agreement with Nitrochem Distribution AG was absolutely enslaving for ToAZ. The Swiss company became the exclusive trader for ToAZ and became able to set price for the plant's products. Nitrochem Director Beat Ruprecht would simply fax the price and the requested supply volumes to the plant. As a rule, the price was 30-40 % below the market price. The plant had no opportunity even to challenge it, not to mention rejecting it - the contract provided for multi-million penalties if ToAZ were to terminate the contractual relationships. Further, Nitrochem would sell the plant's products - ammonia and urea - at market prices, and the mark-on was distributed between the organizers and participants in the scheme.

Not only money was withdrawn from ToAZ but also the assets. Numerous accountants, appraisers, and dummy directors seemed to help the Makhlais and Zivi in this. According to the documents published in the press, from 2005 to 2010, with the help of a series of several hundred transactions, each of which separately did not raise any suspicions, ammonia unit No. 7 was withdrawn from ToAZ, which was relatively modern and in better technical condition compared to the other ones. In the end, 16 buildings and structures of the unit and over 500 pieces of production equipment were sold for less than 100 million rubles whereas their real market value was at least 10 billion rubles - a 100x difference. Above-mentioned Alexander Makarov executed the agreements for TOAZ. In the same way, methanol line was withdrawn from ToAZ in 2010 - an installation with a capacity of 450,000 ton per year along with the land plot was sold to the same OOO Tomet for 132 million rubles. This time, Yevgeny Korolev, ToAZ general director, executed the contract. As the expert examination found, almost all contracts and valuation acts of property sold for nothing were stamped with fake seals and signed with fake signatures. These assets were transferred to a certain OOO Tomet. The company is 100% owned by offshore companies controlled by Andreas Zivi according to public data. Then, following the same scheme, ToAZ lost all of its urea-formaldehyde concentrate line, workshop No. 13, and parts of pipelines..

In 2005, Makhlai was accused of large-scale fraud and tax crimes, and thereafter he fled to London together with Alexander Makarov, where he remains today. Nevertheless, he continued to control the plant remotely until 2011, when his son Sergei replaced him as the chairperson of ToAZ board of directors. His son was a US citizen with several passports where his name was spelled differently: Sergei Makhlai, Serge Makligh, George Mack (as the media wrote, the obvious reason for the change of passports by Sergei Makhlai was tax evasion in the new 'homeland'). For ToAZ, the change of the chairperson of the board of directors did not bring any positive changes - the withdrawal of profit to Swiss offshores through Zivi continued as before, the equipment of the plant kept deteriorating, and the environmental situation in Togliatti kept aggravating. Here it is just right to recall that chemical production is a dangerous process, and when a huge enterprise deals with thousands of tons of toxic substances and millions of cubic meters of explosive gas on a daily basis, tens of millions of dollars must be invested in industrial and occupational safety. However, Makhlai was ready to invest such money only in foreign real estate.

The Threat of Technological Disaster

Inspection of the enterprise by the Samara Department of Rostekhnadzor (the Russian Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision) in 2011 gave shocking results: over 500 gross violations in the field of industrial and occupational safety were revealed. Up to 80 % of controls, alarms, and emergency protection devices were worn out. Rostekhnadzor's repeated inspection in August 2012 showed that the plant management learned no lessons and was not going to take any actions, even those desperately required. Four out of seven ammonia units would discharge flammable gas directly into the atmosphere without any purification, and sometimes even directly to the workshops. The main gas pipelines' period of safe operation expired long ago; their revision and repair never carried out and were not even planned. What happened next? Nothing. According to local media, a proven tool could have been used again - corruption. Since then nothing has been heard about the state of industrial safety and any inspections at the plant.

At the end of 2011, Rosprirodnadzor (the Russian Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service) carried out an inspection at ToAZ, drew up a corresponding act, and the plant itself received a number of instructions. The inspection commission revealed violations of the requirements of the environmental legislation of the Russian Federation. For instance, in January 2011 alone, the enterprise released 32 ton of pollutants into the atmosphere over the established limit. In addition, the plant violated a number of articles of the Federal Law "On production and consumption waste". During the inspection, state inspectors of the Department revealed the fact of unauthorized disposal of 20 tons of limestone and dolomite waste. According to the audit, Rosprirodnadzor announced that ToAZ also does not comply with the conditions for the water body using. The analysis revealed that the discharge of wastewater from the treatment facilities of the plant to the pumping station, with their subsequent discharge into the Volga, is carried out with a significant excess of permissible concentrations: nitrate ions - 1.6x, iron - 1.9x, copper - 6x, sulfates - 1.5x. In 2012, dozens of Togliatti residents signed an appeal to the country's government claiming that the ecological situation in the city was "critical". According to the residents of the city, an increase in chronic respiratory diseases, oncological diseases, and newborns' various deviations were registered in Tolyatti. At the same time, as people wrote, "Chemical Oligarchs" demonstrate complete indifference to the problems of the city generated by their unrestricted greed.

After 2012, surprisingly, the local administration of Rosprirodnadzor lost all interest in Togliattiazot; at least no one knows anything about any new inspections. As the media suggest, this agency too was subjected to the corrupt influence of the Togliattiazot management.

Not only residents of the Samara Region were able to feel the Makhlais' attitude to environmental and industrial safety issues: on June 21, 2015, in the Voronezh Region, a pipe broke in the section of the Togliatti - Odessa ammonia pipeline belonging to ToAZ. Tons of toxic ammonia instantly burst out from the ammonia line. Ammonia is dangerous if inhaled. In case of acute poisoning, ammonia affects the eyes and respiratory tract, and at high concentrations, it may cause death. Only thanks to the prompt actions of local authorities and rescuers, who evacuated 800 local residents, no one died - and only one person suffered from inhalation poisoning.

Under Personal Control

Things simply could not go on further like that - the dominance of criminals at ToAZ has already lasted longer than even at AvtoVAZ. At the end of 2012, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case on the fact of a large-scale fraud at ToAZ. Vladimir Makhlai and Sergey Makhlai, Korolev, Ruprecht, and Zivi became suspects in fraud, which caused damage to the plant for 77 billion rubles. Due to the extreme public importance, Alexander Bastrykin, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, took the investigation of the case under his personal control. Criminal gangs can be extremely difficult to bring to justice - in the end, even Al Capone was officially accused only of tax evasion. Surprisingly, taxes also played an important role in the ToAZ case. After tax audits, ToAZ was additionally charged about 3.5 billion rubles of unpaid taxes for 2008-2013. The Makhlais fiercely resisted and disputed every additional charge, up to the highest court. However, in all cases, the courts of all instances confirmed the correctness of the tax authorities. Thus, the court has established and confirmed the fact of the ToAZ profits withdrawal from taxation in Russia. For the criminal case, this was extremely important, since this fact became prejudicial, that is, it was no longer necessary to prove it.

Nevertheless, ToAZ owners did not hurry to give up and return the stolen property to the plant. The investigation, during which law enforcement officers had to figure out the most complicated chain of offshore companies registered in various jurisdictions, had taken five years. A support group of economists, political scientists, and even lawmakers hired by Makhlai tried, as they say, to ruin the case or prevent the investigation. When the case was finally sent to court, lawyers tried to slow down the consideration arranging ridiculous setups at the hearings, making absurd petitions, or failing to appear at all. As the fateful moment of the verdict was approaching, the Makhlais' legal advisors became more and more panicky. Some believe that they even tried to resort to social blackmail and raise the employees to protests under the threat of dismissal. Nevertheless, hiding behind the workers' backs did not work out - almost no one came out in the Makhlais defense.

On July 5 this year, the Togliatti Komsomolsky District Court convicted five members of the ToAZ elite, finding them guilty of fraud committed as part of an organized criminal group, and sentenced them in absentia to 8.5-9 years in prison. They will also have to return 77 billion rubles to TOAZ. This is a major milestone in the history of the once most modern chemical plant in the USSR, which, due to rampant crime, has become the most lagging in Russia. However, this story is not over yet.

Empire at Sunset

On May 16, 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a new criminal case under article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Creation of a Criminal Community (Criminal Organization) and Participation Therein). Five people convicted of fraud as part of an organized crime group, as well as Makhlai's former assistant Alexander Makarov and many smaller persons involved, appraisers, accountants, directors of shell companies and others are involved in this case. These are Alexander Korenchenko, Olga Kamasheva, Alexey Vinogradov, Ksenia Balashova, Andrey Mizgirev, Lyudmila Miloserdova and others.

On May 31, in Moscow, law enforcement agencies arrested the first person in the case - when trying to fly outside the country, the chairperson of the Togliattikhimbank Management Board Alexander Popov was detained. According to investigators, it was Popov, who played the role of the "financial brain" of organized crime group. In the Togliattikhimbank entrusted to him, he deployed a real control center managing the offshores belonging to the Makhlais and Zivi. The profit withdrawn from ToAZ because of a fraudulent scheme ended up on the accounts of these offshore companies opened with Togliattikhimbank, having no visible connection with their real owners. Later, the money went through the 'laundering' procedure - for example, it was issued as a loan to third parties and returned to the bank as legal profit. Some of it was cashed out for corruption purposes and used to bribe various officials. In addition, Popov managed the withdrawal of the most valuable assets from ToAZ - ammonia unit No. 7, methanol production line, and other assets. He oversaw a complex chain of several hundred transactions, as a result of which expensive equipment and land owned by the plant fell into the hands of Tomet shell company controlled by Zivi's offshores, at a price that was a hundred times lower than the real price. The same offshore companies were used in the scam with the withdrawal of profits. As a result, the company lost more than 10 billion rubles. Popov, who began confessing, had already reported that Sergei Makhlai himself involved him in criminal activity.

For a long time, the ToAZ criminal group managed to get off with a whole skin due to their ties, almost unlimited financial resources received from a giant strategically important Russian enterprise, and also because the government was too busy cleaning up the criminal gangs of the neighboring AvtoVAZ plant. Nevertheless, the principled stance and competence of law enforcement and judicial authorities, demonstrated in the case of multi-billion-dollar fraud at the plant, clearly signal that the government no longer intends to put up with the legacy of the 1990s in one of the largest industrial centers in Russia.

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