Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Op-Ed Russia Lances the Poison in Syria   By Finian Cunningham Russia has saved Syria from a covert war of aggression waged by foreign powers who have been using terrorist proxies for the objective of regime change. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44259.htm   ========= Ankara Bombing Fails To Achieve Strategic Changes   By Moon Of Alabama While the Turks would like to enter Syria and fight the Syrian government troops as well as the YPG they are to afraid of the Russian forces to go alone. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44258.htm   ========= 10 Secret Armies of the Central Intelligence Agency  By Justin King As more evidence mounts that the US government was secretly assisting the Islamic State, it might be time to point out a few instances when the Central Intelligence Agency created secret armies.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44257.htm   ========= Syria - Peace Talks and an Empire Running Amok   By Peter Koenig It is utterly frustrating living the daily lie and slander propaganda against Russia and against President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44256.htm   ========= Erbil: Western Propaganda and Two Parallel Realities   By Andre Vltchek After two minutes of watching the "news" on the BBC, I began to feel unwell.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44260.htm   ========= Greatest Threat to Free Speech in the West: Criminalizing Activism Against Israeli Occupation   By Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman There is a campaign led by Israel and its supporters to criminalize political activism against Israeli occupation.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44253.htm   ========= How Israel is 'Turning Palestinians into Zionists'   By Jonathan Cook "Israel believes it can change the next Palestinian generation's mentality in the classroom, turning them into Zionists" http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44252.htm   ========= "They Really Don't Want This Out": The Biggest Iraq War Scandal That Nobody's Talking About   By Liam O'Donoghue "The Burn Pits" reveals how a Dick Cheney-connected company got rich while U.S. soldiers got poisoned.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44254.htm   ========= The US Economy Has Not Recovered And Will Not Recover   By Paul Craig Roberts The United States government has abandoned everyone except the rich. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44261.htm   ========= Beached America   By Robert C. Koehler For at least the last four decades now I feel like I've been living in Beached America: a nation that has lost its values. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44255.htm   =========

Hard News     US-led strikes kill 38 civilians in northeast Syria: Pro-rebel activists:  At least 38 people were killed in airstrikes carried out by a U.S.-led coalition in Hassakeh province in northeast Syria in the past two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Thursday. https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Feb-18/337932-us-led-strikes-kill-15-civilians-in-northeast-syria-activists.ashx 6 killed, 1 injured as blast hits military convoy in SE Turkey (VIDEO):  Six military personnel have been killed and one seriously wounded in an explosion that hit a military convoy in the southeast of Turkey, the armed forces said in a statement. The convoy was traveling along a highway linking Diyarbakir and Bingol. https://www.rt.com/news/332845-turkey-military-convoy-blast/  Boots On The Ground: U.S. has asked Russians not to attack special forces in Syria - military:  The United States has told Russia broad areas in which U.S. special forces are operating in northern Syria in order to protect them from aerial attack, U.S. military officials said on Thursday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3453274/U-S-asked-Russians-not-attack-special-forces-Syria--military.html  Turkey blames Syria's YPG group for Ankara bombing:  Ahmet Davutoglu calls on countries to pick a side after car bomb kills at least 28 people in central Ankara. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/turkey-blames-pkk-allies-ankara-blast-160218085117514.html  Rebels cross from Turkey to join Aleppo battles:  Hundreds of rebels prepared to head to frontlines in northern Aleppo province on Thursday, after crossing from Turkey to reinforce fighters battling Kurdish militia. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Feb-18/337904-500-rebels-cross-turkish-border-towards-syrian-town-of-azaz-observatory.ashx  Syrian rebels say reinforcements get free passage via Turkey: At least 2,000 Syrian rebel fighters have re-entered the country from Turkey over the last week to reinforce insurgents fending off an assault by Syrian Kurdish militias, rebel sources said on Thursday. http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_syrian-rebels-say-reinforcements-get-free-passage-via-turkey_412634.html  Russia accuses Turkey of helping extremists recruit fighters: Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said in the letter dated February 10 that recruiters from the Islamic State group had reportedly established a network in the Turkish city of Antalya for foreign fighters from the former Soviet Union. http://dunyanews.tv/en/World/323566-Russia-accuses-Turkey-of-helping-extremists-recrui  Report: Israeli missiles hit Syrian army outpost near Damascus:  Syrian military source denies strikes; no immediate reports on casualties or nature of targets http://www.timesofisrael.com/report-israeli-rockets-hit-syrian-army-outposts-near-damascus/  Saudi ground forces would target ISIS in Syria: minister: "If they enter Syria, these forces will work in the framework of the international coalition to fight Daesh, there will be no unilateral operations," he said in the interview at his ministry. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Feb-18/337995-priority-of-any-syria-ground-op-must-be-isis-saudi-minister.ashx  Erdogan's aims in Syria curtailed by army:  The Turkish government, in league with Saudi Arabia, made a tentative decision to enter the war on the ground in Syria - and then got cold feet about it. Or more likely, the Turkish army simply told the government that it would not invade Syria and risk the possibility of a shooting war with the Russians. http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/02/18/erdogans-aims-in-syria-curtailed-by-army/  Fact or fiction? US Airstrikes Destroy More Than $500M in ISIS Cash :  The U.S. believes that airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have destroyed more than $500 million in cash that ISIS used to pay its fighters and fund its terror and military operations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIpmRFhZw4  32 ISIS elements killed, 15 injured in coalition strike northeast of Nineveh:  This evening, warplanes of the international coalition bombed a headquarters belonging to ISIS in the area of al-Ghabat northeast of Nineveh, resulting in the death of 32 ISIS elements and injury of 15 others." http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/32-isis-elements-killed-15-injured-coalition-strike-northeast-nineveh/  More than 20 civilians killed in air strikes in Iraq's Anbar:  Military yet to confirm who carried out raids which claimed at least 24 lives, including children, in province's west. "We don't know yet if the air strikes were carried out by the coalition or Iraqi military." http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/civilians-killed-air-strikes-iraq-anbar-160218131347042.html  13 ISIS members killed in ambush in central Mosul:  The spokesman of al-Hashd al-Watani Mahmoud Alsurja said in a statement, "Unidentified men launched an attack in Ghabat area in central Mosul, and were able to kill 13 members of the ISIS." http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/13-isis-killed-in-ambush-by-unidentified-central-mosul/  ISIS execute a 15-year-old boy by beheading after he is caught listening to western music in Iraq :  Ayham Hussein, 15, was arrested by militants after allegedly being caught enjoying pop tunes on a portable CD player in the group's Iraqi capital Mosul. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3452533/ISIS-execute-15-year-old-boy-beheading-caught-listening-western-music-Iraq.html  Daesh claims suicide bombing at Yemen army camp:  Troops loyal to embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi were in the midst of a training session with Sudanese forces in collaboration with the Saudi-led coalition at the Ras Abbas camp. A man disguised as a solider joined them and then "detonated his explosive vest http://www.albawaba.com/news/daesh-claims-suicide-bombing-yemen-army-camp-807082  MSF says 18 dead in South Sudan fighting, including two staff:  "This attack on civilians is outrageous and we demand that armed groups stop these actions," said Marcus Bachmann, coordinator of MSF projects in South Sudan, in a statement. http://www.straitstimes.com/world/africa/at-least-seven-dead-40-injured-in-south-sudan-un-base-attack    Leaked Document Indicates There May Soon Be EU Military Involvement in Libya:  The European Union is planning an extension of its military operation against human traffickers, which could eventually include sending ground troops to war-torn Libya. According to a confidential document shared with VICE Alps and with Wikileaks https://news.vice.com/article/leaked-document-indicates-there-may-soon-be-eu-military-involvement-in-libya  Obama Refuses to Hit ISIS's Libyan Capital :  Weeks ago, defense officials told The New York Times that they were crafting military plans for such strikes, but needed more time to develop intelligence so that they could launch a sustained air campaign on ISIS in Sirte. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/18/exclusive-obama-refuses-to-hit-isis-s-libyan-capital.html  Pakistani Taliban kill nine paramilitary personnel in attacks in northwest: Pakistani Taliban militants on Thursday shot and killed at least nine security forces personnel in two separate attacks in a volatile northwestern region, security and government officials said. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-militants-attack-idUSKCN0VR0PC  'Russia a major military': President Obama backtracks on Moscow's defense capabilities:  Russia's military campaign in Syria seems to have changed President Barack Obama's opinion of its armed forces. He now says it's "the second-most powerful military in the world." Two years ago he labeled Moscow as nothing more than a "regional power." https://www.rt.com/news/332867-russia-major-military-obama/  U.S. stationing tanks and artillery in classified Norwegian caves:"  Marines are prepositioning battle tanks, artillery and logistics equipment inside Norwegian caves as the U.S. pushes to station equipment near the NATO-Russia frontier. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/politics/u-s-tanks-artillery-norwegian-caves/index.html  Russian citizens' extradition by third countries upon US requests unacceptable:  The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson made this comment regarding Norway's recent decision to extradite to the United States Russian citizen Mark Vartanyan who has been under arrest since 2014 http://tass.ru/en/politics/857671  EU says Austria asylum cap plan illegal:  "Austria has a legal obligation to accept any asylum application that is made on its territory or at its border," Dimitris Avramopoulos wrote in a letter to Austria's Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner and seen by Reuters. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/02/18/eu-summit-migration-crisis/80548442/  Sweden Plans To House Migrants On Cruise Ship: Sweden plans to house nearly 1,800 migrants on a luxury cruise ship, as it struggles to cope with its share of the huge migrant influx into Europe, officials said today. http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sweden-plans-to-house-migrants-on-cruise-ship-1278908  Hungary to shut Croatia railway crossings used by migrants: The decree from Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said the move would ensure "the protection of public safety," without mentioning migrants or going into other details. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3453279/Hungary-shut-Croatia-railway-crossings-used-migrants.html  South Carolina Senate Passes Bill to Withdraw Participation in Refugee Resettlement Program:  A coalition of seven senators introduced Senate Bill 997 (S.0997) on Jan. 14. The legislation would generally ban state expenditures directly or indirectly benefiting a refugee placed in South Carolina under the Refugee Resettlement Program http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2016/02/south-carolina-senate-passes-bill-to-withdraw-participation-in-refugee-resettlement-program/  Beijing accuses US of 'ulterior motives in hyping up' South China Sea missile move:  China says facilities have existed for years in response to anger from the US and its allies after missile launchers were installed on a contested island http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/18/beijing-accuses-us-of-ulterior-motives-in-hyping-up-south-china-sea-missile-move  Saudi Arabia says it 'will not cut oil production': The development, reported by the AFP news agency, comes after an agreement with Russia on Tuesday in which they agreed to freeze output. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/saudi-arabia-oil-production-price-petrol-diesel-a6881761.html  Wal-Mart Trims Forecast:  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. lowered its annual sales forecast in a move it blamed on the strong dollar, adding another headache for a retailer struggling with slow U.S. traffic and decelerating e-commerce growth. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-18/wal-mart-cuts-growth-forecast-as-currency-hampers-overseas-sales  This Is The Real Reason For The War On Cash:  Policy makers in Europe and the U.S. want to make it harder for the hoi polloi to hold actual currency. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-18/end-economic-liberty-war-cash-wont-end-well  Venezuelan gasoline prices jump 6,000%:  Starting from February 18, the price of premium gasoline is going rise from 0.1 bolivars (less than 2 cents) a liter to 6 bolivars (87 cents) per liter; an increase of over 6,000 percent. The price for regular 91 octane gasoline is set to jump from 0.07 bolivars (1 cent) to 1 bolivar (14 cents) per liter, reports the Associated Press. https://www.rt.com/business/332846-venezuela-petrol-price-hike/  Barack Obama to make historic visit to Cuba:  Barack Obama, the US president, is planning an historic visit to Cuba next month, which will make him the first serving US president to set foot on the island in nearly nine decades. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/barack-obama-historic-visit-cuba-160218044108071.html  US Border checkpoint scans eyes, faces of departing foreigners:  The federal government is using eye scans and facial recognition technology for the first time to verify the identities of foreigners leaving the United States on foot at a busy San Diego border crossing with Mexico - the latest move to close a longstanding security gap http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/border-checkpoint-scans-eyes-faces-of-departing-foreigners/  FBI wins court order forcing Apple to install backdoor in iPhone security systems:  The court decision, utilizing an obscure and antidemocratic law from the 18th century, is part of efforts to utilize last year's attack in San Bernardino, California to intensify the assault on democratic rights and expand the police-state spying powers of the government. http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/02/18/appl-f18.html  Study: 58,000 U.S. bridges found to be 'structurally deficient':  Nearly 10% of the country's bridges - 58,495 out of 609,539 - were considered structurally deficient last year and needed repairs, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association reported Thursday http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/18/fewer-bridges-need-repairs-but-task-still-monumental/80512038/  Pope on Trump: Anyone who wants border walls isn't Christian:  Pope Francis said Thursday that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he intends to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump immediately fired back, saying it is disgraceful for a religious leader to question a person's faith. http://tinyurl.com/zynk4pq  Watch: Trump Responds to Pope's Attacks : Video -  "If ISIS Attacks Vatican Pope Will Wish I Were President" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q01eeeFIjs  American Voters Feel The Bern :  American voters back Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont over Republican candidates by margins of 4 to 10 percentage points in head to head presidential matchups. The closest Republican contender is Ohio Gov. John Kasich who trails Sanders 45 - 41 percent. http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2324  Pope suggests women threatened by Zika virus could use contraception:  Pope Francis has suggested that women threatened with the Zika virus could use artificial contraception, saying there's a clear moral difference between aborting a fetus and preventing a pregnancy. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-pope-contraception-trump-20160218-story.html