Headline News 13/08/2016

Headlines:

• Russia Intensifies Conflict in Ukraine with American Blessing
• America Orchestrates Bombing of Aleppo to Deny Breaking of Siege
• US Drone Kills IS group leader in Afghanistan, Pakistan
• Labour Party Leader Threatened by Court Verdict

Details:

Russia Intensifies Conflict in Ukraine with American Blessing

It seems that America has offered Putin full control of Crimea in exchange for full cooperation in Syria. Russia has taken steps to intensify the conflict in Ukraine with Reuters reporting, "Russia has deployed its advanced S-400 air defence missile system to annexed Crimea" according to a Russian Defence Ministry statement.

Putin is taking these steps not to engage in war in Ukraine but to strengthen his bargaining position there. Crimea is a vital strategic asset for Russian naval control of the Black Sea. Russia requires its annexation of Crimea to be secured through legitimising it, which cannot be done without American blessing.

According to another Reuters report, 'US Vice President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and urged him "to do his part" to avoid escalating tensions with Russia'.

America Orchestrates Bombing of Aleppo to Deny Breaking of Siege

After the surprise break of the regime siege of eastern Aleppo on 6 August 2016, Russia and the Syrian regime have been conducting very heavy bombing of the area in order to deny any form of relief to the area to pass through the newly opened corridor.

Following negotiations between America and Russia for joint operations in Syria, it has now become increasingly obvious that whatever Russia does in Syria is in fact sanctioned and supported by the American government.

The breaking of the siege is a very serious threat to the Syrian regime that could lead to the loss of the whole of Aleppo. The city has the potential to be an alternate Syrian capital, undermining the viability of the Assad regime before even entering Damascus.

Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that "U.S.-backed forces have seized full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border". This will bring the supply line for the revolutionaries under greater American control.

America fears entering the Syrian war directly but continues to orchestrate all elements of this war from afar. The question is how long will American allies sacrifice themselves for America.

US Drone Kills IS group leader in Afghanistan, Pakistan

A US Defence Department spokesman confirmed on Friday that a US drone strike killed Hafiz Saeed Khan, the leader of the IS branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, on 26 July 2016, as reported by Reuters. Hafiz Saeed Khan was a former leader of TTP (Tehrik Taliban Pakistan) that is fighting the Pakistan state.

It is the second strike in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province bordering on Pakistan. On 9 July 2016, a US drone strike had killed Omar Mansoor, head of the Tariq Gidar Group faction of the TTP.

Pakistan has been repeatedly asking America to eliminate such leaders from Afghanistan.

These two strikes follow the visit of John McCain to Pakistan at the beginning of July 2016, during which the Pakistan Army took him to North Waziristan, adjoining the Afghan border to prove to him the work that Pakistan Army is undertaking against so-called militants there. McCain returned to America and praised the Pakistani efforts.

The Pakistan Army leadership cannot think beyond sacrificing Pakistani forces to please their American masters and begging them for whatever they need.

Labour Party Leader Threatened by Court Verdict

British courts have backed Labour party rules that will exclude thousands of new members from the forthcoming Labour party leadership election making it more difficult for Jeremy Corbyn to be re-elected as leader.

It is well-known that the political party system in Western countries, particularly US and UK, are designed so that the elite can maintain control over the system. It is not possible for anyone to be elected President or Prime Minister unless their party first nominates them. And parties are free to determine their own rules and procedures regarding how they choose their candidates.

Jeremy Corbyn, the present leader of the Labour party, has been an exception to the rule. He is a long-standing anti-establishment politician who was able to became Labour leader last year when some members of the parliamentary party nominated him only for the purposes of providing diversity in the election contest. They didn't actually think he would win. But voting is by the party membership generally, not just the parliamentary members, and Corbyn appealed greatly to the anti-establishment feeling that presently dominates Western countries including Britain.

Nevertheless the elite have many techniques for maintaining control of major parties and they are sure to find one way or another to dispose of Mr. Corbyn.