Sunday, December 06, 2020

Shocking’: Leaked PHOTO & classified reports shed light on Pentagon's UFO-tracking activities
WEEKLY WORLD NEWS? NOPE JUST RT AS USUAL
5 Dec, 2020
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FILE PHOTO. © Reuters / Paul Hanna

A photo of a mysterious airborne object has been leaked to US defense news outlet, The Debrief. The photo is said to be a part of a classified Pentagon report suggesting some UFOs might be of “alien” or “non-human” origin.


The image published by The Debrief on Thursday depicts what officials first described as a “cube-shaped” silver object “hovering” at an altitude of between 30,000 and 35,000 feet (9.1 to 10.6 kilometers). The object in the photo appears to be more of an inverted bell-shaped one, however, with what looks like ridges on its lateral edges.


The puzzling image that has since circulated on social media is reported to have initially been part of a classified “position report” by the Pentagon’s secretive Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF). Called UAPs by the military, the phenomena are better known to the broader public by their old name, unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The US defense department only officially acknowledged the existence of the UAPTF in August this year, after the Senate 2021 intelligence authorization bill let it slip in June.

Leaked photo from Pentagon UFO task force shows silver cube hovering over the Atlantic dailym.ai/3qqyBJ1
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Pentagon’s UFO hunter dept may soon be forced to make findings PUBLIC

However, the task force appears to have existed long before that, since the report in question dates back to the summer of 2018, according to The Debrief. The UAPTF’s predecessor, the UFO-hunting Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), was run by the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2007 to 2012.

The photo itself refers to an aerial phenomenon marked as “unidentified.” The image was taken from an F/A-18 fighter jet with a pilot’s personal cell phone somewhere off the East Coast of the US. Sources within the intelligence community contacted by The Debrief confirmed that it was taken at some point in 2018, but the exact time and location were not revealed to the media outlet.

“In decades with the [Intelligence Community] I’ve never seen anything like this,” one intelligence official told The Debrief, while another one called the UAPTF reports “shocking.”

According to the outlet, the 2018 report that had been quite widely distributed through the “non-public” military and intelligence information-sharing channels “expressly stated” that an idea of some UAP to be the products of “alien” or “non-human” technology was considered quite legitimate.
Declassified: Pentagon officially releases 3 UFO VIDEOS to ‘clear misconceptions’

Another UAPTF “position report,” allegedly released this summer, describes a similar incident, which this time involved an unidentifiable triangular object. The paper reportedly contained an “extremely clear” photo of the aircraft, described as a large equilateral triangle with rounded or “blunted” edges and large spherical white “lights” at the corners.

The image, which was not obtained by the media, was said to have been taken in 2019 by another F/A-18 fighter pilot. Sources familiar with the report told The Debrief that the image was taken after the object emerged from the ocean and flew up at a 90-degree angle. The incident reportedly took place off the eastern US coast as well.

Despite some earlier speculation that the US Defense Department might be compelled to make its UFO sighting reports public, when contacted by The Debrief the Pentagon declined to comment on either the photos or the classified reports.

“I am not going to comment on whether something was or was not in a classified intelligence report,” Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough said in an email, adding that the DOD won't comment on classified reports in order “to maintain operations security and to avoid disclosing information that may be useful to potential adversaries.”

Obama reveals he sought truth about aliens and UFOs while president… but won’t say what he was told

The US military did release three videos showing pilots’ encounters with what was called “unidentified aerial phenomena” in April, without providing many details about what was seen in the footage. Further attempts, including by the US Senate, to make the Pentagon and the US intelligence agencies declassify additional information were apparently to no avail.

Earlier this week, former US President Barack Obama told reporters that he sought information about UFOs during his tenure, but stopped short of revealing if he had learned anything.

 RUSSIA LOVES SHARING THIS STUFF 

‘Leftists are evil’: Conservative actor Jon Voight says Democrats serve SATAN in pro-Trump speech (VIDEO)


Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight caused a splash online after posting a short video arguing that the US presidential election was a fraud and citing an “evil” leftist alliance with Satan as the driving force.

The ‘National Treasure’ star said he was “disgusted with this lie that [Joe] Biden has been chosen,” in the Tuesday clip, referencing the Democrats’ win against Donald Trump during the November 3 contest, which Trump has challenged.

“There will be a price to pay,” Voight assured viewers, warning ominously: “The ones who are jumping for joy now are jumping toward the horror they will be in for.”

The actor then called Trump’s ongoing attempts to prove massive voter fraud and win the election “the battle of righteousness versus Satan.” Lest anyone assume he was exaggerating, he reiterated the point: “Yes, Satan, because these leftists are evil, corrupt and they want to tear down this nation… Let us fight this fight as it is our last fight on earth.”

Voight’s direct comparison of his political opponents to Biblical forces of evil quickly trended on Twitter, with many laughing off his speech as “lies” and tinfoil hat conspiracy theory.

Others mocked Voight’s overly dramatic tone, implying his mental health is suffering. “Under our new President you’ll receive much better mental health care,” one of the actor’s critics quipped.

On the other hand, some appeared to fully agree with the thespian, calling his speech “brilliant and clearly stated,” while agreeing that Joe Biden is indeed “the Devil.”

Macron's Draft Security Law Spurs Violent Protests Across Paris

The police fired back volleys of tear gas and made repeated charges at groups of troublemakers for close to three hours.

A demonstrator holds an umbrella and a sign reading "For your safety you will have no more freedoms" (IT'S THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN QUOTE 'WHAT YOU GAIN IN SECURITY YOU GIVE UP IN FREEDOM') during a protest against the "Global Security Bill'', that right groups say would make it a crime to circulate an image of a police officer's face and would infringe journalists' freedom in the country, in Paris, France, December 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

Michaela Cabrera and Richard Lough

Paris: Scores of hooded anarchists launched projectiles at riot police, smashed up shop fronts, torched cars and burned barricades during a demonstration in the French capital on Saturday against police violence and a draft security law.

The police fired back volleys of tear gas and made repeated charges at groups of troublemakers for close to three hours. One group of anarchists ransacked the branch office of a bank, throwing piles of paperwork onto a fire outside.

It marked the second consecutive of weekend of unrest in Paris, provoked by recent episodes of police brutality and President Emmanuel Macron’s security plans, which the demonstrators say would restrict civil liberties.

Rallies also took place in Marseille, Lyon, Lille and other French cities.

Thousands of people had began marching peacefully in Paris, waving banners that read “France, land of police rights” and “Withdrawal of the security law“, when the clashes erupted between police and ‘Black Bloc’ anarchists.

Paris police said that some 500 “casseurs” (which translates as hoodlums or rioters) had infiltrated the protest, according to BFM TV. Thirty arrests had been made by 1700 GMT, the force added.

A protestor wearing a face mask reading ”Freedom or death” holds a placard reading ”The head of an assassin is recognised in the basket” during a demonstration against the “Global Security Bill”, that right groups say would make it a crime to circulate an image of a police officer’s face and would infringe journalists’ freedom in the country, in Paris, France, December 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

France has been hit by a wave of street protests after the government introduced a security bill in parliament that set out to increase its surveillance tools and restrict rights on circulating images of police officers in the media and online.

France has been hit by a wave of street protests after the government introduced a security bill in parliament that set out to increase its surveillance tools and restrict rights on circulating images of police officers in the media and online.

The bill was part of Macron’s drive to get tougher on law and order ahead of elections in 2022. His government also said the police needed to be better protected from online
But the draft legislation provoked a public backlash.

The beating of a Black man, music producer Michel Zecler, by several police officers in late November intensified anger. That incident came to light after closed circuit television and mobile phone footage circulated online.

In a U-turn earlier this week, Macron’s ruling party said it would rewrite the article that curbs rights to circulate images of police officers. But many opponents say that is not enough.

“We’re heading towards an increasingly significant limitation of freedoms. There is no justification,” said Paris resident Karine Shebabo.

Another protester, Xavier Molenat, said: “France has this habit of curbing freedoms while preaching their importance to others.”

Macron acknowledged on Friday that people of colour were more likely to be stopped by police for ID checks than whites. He said an online platform would be created for citizens to log unwarranted searches.

The president’s remarks drew a furious response from police unions on Saturday. Alliance Police called Macron’s comments shameful and denied the force was racist. The Alternative Police union threatened to halt random checks.

(Reuters)

Tensions rise on Paris march against proposed police images law

5 December 2020, France Protests

France Protests. Picture: PA

Thousands of people have taken part in rallies across the country.

Thousands of people around France have protested against a proposed bill that could make it more difficult for witnesses to film police officers.

Tensions rose at the Paris march as intruders set fire to several cars, broke into a bank and tossed objects at police.

The protest-crashers, who disrupted a similar demonstration a week ago, formed a barricade on a section of the march route in eastern Paris, temporarily blocking the procession.

Dressed in black and known as “black blocs”, the aggressive interlopers are a feared element at French demonstrations.

France Protests
Demonstrators gather on the Place de la Republique (AP)

Police officers who have come under fire for alleged racism and gratuitous violence within their ranks were hard-pressed to stop the individuals seeding chaos at the march.

“Police mutilate, police kill”, read one banner carried by protesters.

Earlier, French president Emmanuel Macron triggered anger among police unions during an interview with young people in which he said that officers with violent behaviour and “racist attitudes” must be tracked and sanctioned.

Mr Macron also announced plans for a online platform the public can use to report and discuss misconduct and acts of bias by police officers.

In reaction, police unions pressed colleagues to stop carrying out identity checks, which activists see as prime opportunities for discrimination.

France Protests
The proposed law seeks to outlaw taking photos of police officers (AP)

The interior ministry said about 52,350 people demonstrated around France, including 5,000 in Paris.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said at least 64 people were arrested during the protests and eight police officers were injured.

In a tweet, he praised police for facing down “very violent individuals”.

Tear gas & burning cars: 22 arrested following clashes between protesters & police in Paris (VIDEOS)

Tear gas & burning cars: 22 arrested following clashes between protesters & police in Paris (VIDEOS)
A thousands-strong protest march against the French government’s draft security bill in Paris has ended up in chaos as groups of “rioters” torched cars, broke windows and clashed with police responding with tear gas.

Thousands of demonstrators set out from Porte des Lilas on the northeastern edge of the French capital on Saturday and headed to the Place de la République in the city center. The marchers sought to express their discontent over police violence and President Emmanuel Macron’s security policy plans.

The marchers were waving banners reading: “France, land of police rights” and “Withdrawal of the security law.”

The march almost immediately descended into violence, as groups of black-clad protesters with covered faces started smashing windows and burning cars. Soon, the streets in eastern Paris were plunged into chaos as demonstrators erected barricades and set them on fire.

While protesters chanted “everyone hates the police” and “anti-capitalists,” some in the thronging crowds broke windows in several buildings, including a supermarket, a real estate agency and a bank, and set cars – including a truck – ablaze. They were also seen destroying CCTV cameras along their route and pelting police with firecrackers and various projectiles.

Law enforcement were deployed to the streets in large numbers and responded with volleys of tear gas. Police officers clad in helmets and riot gear also attempted to disperse the crowds.

Footage uploaded to social media show Paris streets filled with thick plumes of tear gas, littered with debris and lit by the burning cars and barricades. On several occasions, the rioters managed to force the police to retreat by pelting the officers with firecrackers.

Police said that the demonstration was “infiltrated” by at least 500 “rioters” seeking to sow chaos. French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin confirmed that at least 22 people were arrested, and thanked the police for their courage in the face of “very violent individuals.”

More than 90 demonstrations were held across France on Saturday including in many big cities like Marseille, Lyon or Rennes. They were mostly peaceful.The nation has been hit by a wave of protests after the government introduced a draft bill that would provide law enforcement with additional surveillance tools.

The bill’s controversial Article 24, in particular, sparked public anger as it seeks to protect police officers from doxing and harassment, and bans the filming of on-duty cops and sharing their images online with the “intent to harm.”

The bill’s critics argue such a provision would make the police less accountable and would be used to persecute those willing to expose police brutality. The tensions rose even more after footage emerged last month showing French police beat and racially abuse a black man, apparently for not wearing a face mask.

The lower house of the French parliament already approved the draft legislation in late November, but earlier this week, Macron’s government vowed to “rewrite” the controversial Article 24, although many critics say now that is simply not enough.

ALSO ON RT.COMParis protesters torch cars, set BANK on fire amid clashes over bill slammed as ‘ban on filming police brutality’ (VIDEOS)


 

FAIR AND BALANCED; THE RUSSIAN VIEW
‘Havana syndrome’: ‘Directed radio frequency energy’ made US diplomats feel sick in Cuba & China, scientists find

6 Dec, 2020
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US embassy in Havana, Cuba. February 2018. © AFP / Adalberto Roqu

A study commissioned by the US government has found that “directed” microwave energy appears to be the main cause of the mysterious symptoms reported by American personnel stationed in Cuba and China.

The study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) was commissioned by the US State Department.

In its report, a NASEM expert panel concluded that symptoms like dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and memory loss that were experienced by American diplomats were “consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy.”

Overall, directed pulsed RF energy, especially in those with the distinct early manifestations, appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases.

Vestibular disorder called persistent postural-perceptional dizziness (PPPD) was named as a “secondary reinforcing mechanism” in some patients with chronic symptoms.

The experts did not rule out other possible reasons as well, saying that the illness in some cases could have been caused by “a multiplicity of factors.” They, however, found “no convincing evidence” that diplomats were suffering from pesticides sprayed in Havana, and it was “highly unlikely” that they had fallen victims to the Zika virus.

Pesticides were described as a primary source of the symptoms experienced by US and Canadian diplomats in Havana in a 2019 study commissioned by the Canadian government, and a separate Israeli study from the same year.

“We are pleased this report is now out and can add to the data and analyses that may help us come to an eventual conclusion as to what transpired,” the State Department said in a statement to the media about the NASEM study.

‘Pure psyop’: Indian Army denies report that China used ‘microwave weapons’ to chase off its soldiers from disputed border

The US government personnel and their families began reporting symptoms like dizziness, ear pain and visual problems while stationed in Havana in late 2016 and in the American consulate in Guangzhou in southern China in early 2017. The mysterious illness dubbed ‘Havana syndrome’ spurred numerous theories, ranging from the use of sonic and electromagnetic weapons to an unknown infection and mass hysteria.

PROPAGANDA FAKE TRAIN 

Turkish export train to China returns to Istanbul station hours after departure - union

Dec 05 2020 

http://ahval.co/en-102060

Turkey’s first China-bound export train, which departed from an Istanbul station on Friday, has returned to another station in the city, hours after its departure, the United Trade Union of Transport Employees said on Saturday.

The train which took off from Istanbul’s Kazlicesme train station in a ceremony with the participation of Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil KaraismailoÄŸlu, has returned to the Halkalı station after its banners were removed at the station located in Maltepe district, the union said.


The Transportation Ministry on Friday said the train would carry 42 containers of household appliances across the Trans Caspian East-West Middle Corridor via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, before arriving in China in 12 days.

Moreover, the China-bound train resulted in wide scale railway transportation disruptions, with nine trains being cancelled, shorted routes in 10 trains and delays in nine others, the union said.


The union also called on the Transportation of Ministry to take action against State Railways of the Republic of Turkey (TCDD) officials involved in the incident, for causing disruption in railway travels, putting citizens lives at risk during the pandemic and damaging the reputation of the railways.


Basına ve Kamuoyuna; Çin’e Giderken Kaybolan ilk Ä°hracat Treni…
Toplamda 42 konteyner içinde beyaz eÅŸya taşıyan ilk ihracat trenini 04.12.2020 tarihinde saat 14.00 da KazlıçeÅŸme istasyonundan Çin’in Xi’an ÅŸehrine UlaÅŸtırma ve Altyapı Bakanı Adil Karais

Trump administration failed to pursue suspicious death of American journalist in Istanbul


Nov 18 2020 

The Trump administration has failed to pursue an investigation into the death of Syrian-American journalist Halla Barakat who was murdered along with her mother in Istanbul in 2017, according to the Centre for Investigative Reporting.

Halla, who was 23, and her mother Orouba, 62, were found with their throats cut in their apartment in Istanbul in September 2017. Their bodies were covered in blankets and the apartment had been sprinkled with laundry detergent to delay their discovery. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and Rep. David Price, from North Carolina, where Halla was born, called for an investigation into whether the crime was a professional assassination.

Turkish authorities then arrested Ahmed Barakat, a distant relative, who had arrived in Istanbul six months previously and had been in the Free Syrian Army. Ahmed had confessed to the murders in front of a judge, saying Orouba owed him money. After a brief trial, he was given two life sentences and the investigation was closed. But Ahmed then went back on his confession in his next court appearance, saying that his translator had pressured him to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Turkish authorities “did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the case made directly to the police and prosecutors and submitted through the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara and the Turkish Embassy in Washington”, according to the report on the investigation.

Meanwhile, the FBI also decided not to pursue the case. “Upon review into the deaths of Halla and Orouba Barakat, the FBI is confident that the Turkish legal system and their law enforcement conducted a thorough investigation and identified, interviewed and received a confession from the subject,” Tina Jagerson, an FBI spokesperson said. “The FBI is not in receipt of any further relevant information that would dispute the investigative findings or legal outcome. Additionally, the FBI has recently been in contact with the victim’s family and has communicated the FBI’s decision.”

The Barakat family in the United States, and particularly Suzanne Barakat, has not given up on the investigation. They believe that while Ahmed was involved in the murders, he probably did not act alone, and they doubt the motive he gave prosecutors. Suzanne urged North Carolina Representative David Price to seek answers from the government, and he was briefed by the FBI and State Department in September 2019.

Price left the meeting feeling that the case had become “a diplomatic matter” between the U.S. and Turkey. “But the diplomatic answer was not an adequate one… the diplomacy says we don’t get involved here,” Price said. He was given the impression that Turkey was happy to settle the investigation quickly, and that the U.S. had little appetite to pursue it. “It gives one reason to particularly question this kind of deference to Turkish authorities. Especially in a case that involves an American citizen,” Price said.

However, Agnes Callamard, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, told ABC News that her office had received information and was in contact with Turkish authorities about the case. Callamard previously investigated the killing of Jamal Kashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, determining that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the murder.

Callamard said that she wanted to make sure governments “do not stop at identifying the hit men, but look as well to identify those that have ordered the crime.”

She further commented that “my objective is to determine whether the investigation has met the standard it should meet under international law. Was it effective? Was it impartial? Was it independent? And importantly and most specifically, in the case of a journalist, did it consider all the possible motivations behind the killings? It is, in my view, absolutely crucial that as a society, we are prepared to do everything we can to go to the bottom of the killing of a journalist,” she said. “When we dig into such a crime, when we go beyond the surface of such a killing, what we find usually are deep-seated corruption, criminal activities within the core of the state, or injustice and the impunity that have become part of the system.”




What motivates Trump to shelter Halkbank and protect ErdoÄŸan?

David Phillips
Last Updated On: Nov 03 2020 

http://ahval.co/en-98587

The Trump Organization received $14 million in royalty fees for use of Trump’s name on the Trump Towers in Istanbul. Azerbaijani oligarchs also paid millions to the Trump organization for a beauty pageant in Baku. A recent investigation by MSNBC concluded that the Trump Organization has ownership positions in 119 Turkish companies.

Trump’s efforts to dissuade the Justice Department from prosecuting the state-owned HalkBank are unprecedented. Prosecutors have already determined that HalkBank helped evade US sanctions on Iran.

What motivates Trump to shelter HalkBank?

The Trump Organization owes $431 million, which Trump personally guaranteed. When Trump's taxes are finally released, don't be surprised to learn that HalkBank or Turkish businessmen close to Erdogan financed the Trump Organization.

Trump's conflict of interest has real ramifications for US national security. He invited Turkish armed forces and their jihadist proxies into Northern Syria where they committed heinous crimes against Kurds, Armenians and Syriac Christians. He turns a blind eye as Turkish-backed Islamists slaughtered ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. He's also silent as Turkish war ships challenge Greece, Cyprus and Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Trump puts his personal interest above US national interests when it comes to US-Turkey relations. Investigators should determine if Trump's actions are unethical – or criminal.







Iraqi Kurds seek to diversify economy away from oil


Iraqi Kurds are returning to agricultural production with world oil prices continuing to be dampened by reduced demand linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to French news site 24Matins.

Civil servants in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have not been receiving their salaries, and some are returning to previously abandoned farms in order to make money, 24Matins said.

Officials said that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) “only pays wages every couple of months”, and so “it’s better for farmers to tend to their fields than wait for the payday or for charity.”

Before the United States’ invasion of Iraq in 2003, many in the Kurdish region had survived on farming due to sanctions imposed on the regime of Saddam Hussein.

With growing Kurdish autonomy and oil wealth, many people left the agricultural sector, and investments from multinational oil companies saw the regional capital of Erbil transformed with the construction of skyscrapers and hotels.

The World Bank painted a gloomy picture for the Iraqi economy, which is one of the most exposed to oil prices.

“Faced with this multifaceted crisis, growth is expected to contract by 9.5% in 2020, Iraq’s worst annual performance since 2003. Oil-GDP is expected to contract by 12% (capped by the OPEC+ agreement) while non-oil-GDP is expected to contract by 5% with sectors like religious tourism affected by COVID-19 measures”, the World Bank reported.

Kurdish economist Bilal Saeed told AFP the KRG had not made enough effort to diversify its economy away from oil.

“Instead of using that revenue to develop the agriculture, health and tourism sectors, the government of Kurdistan has focused mostly on developing its oil sector and ignored the rest,” he said.

This over reliance on oil also fueled corruption. Iraq’s patronage network, controlled by the two main parties, the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), had failed to distribute the oil wealth equitably, according to the World Bank.

This has created a bloated public sector with over 1.2 million staff, with around 40 percent of them in the military and security sectors, out of a regional population of five million, according to 24Matins.