Gareth Porter — Report Points to a Pentagon Plot to Subvert Obama’s Syria Policy

Airstrikes by the United States and its allies against two Syrian army positions Sept. 17 killed at least 62 Syrian troops and wounded dozens more. The attack was quickly treated as a non-story by the U.S. news media; U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the strikes were carried out in the mistaken belief that Islamic State forces were being targeted, and the story disappeared.

The circumstances surrounding the attack, however, suggested it may have been deliberate, its purpose being to sabotage President Obama’s policy of coordinating with Russia against Islamic State and Nusra Front forces in Syria as part of a U.S.-Russian cease-fire agreement.

Normally the U.S. military can cover up illegal operations and mistakes with a pro forma military investigation that publicly clears those responsible. But the air attack on Syrian troops also involved three foreign allies in the anti-Islamic State named Operation Inherent Resolve: the United Kingdom, Denmark and Australia. So, the Pentagon had to agree to bring a general from one of those allies into the investigation as a co-author of the report. Consequently, the summary of the investigation released by CENTCOM on Nov. 29 reveals far more than the Pentagon and CENTCOM brass would have desired.

Thanks to that heavily redacted report, we now have detailed evidence that the commander of CENTCOM’s Air Force component attacked the Syrian army deliberately....

Like the Russian Ministry of Defense said at the time based on evidence.

The US is not only a rogue state, it has gone rogue internally. America is in trouble, and the incoming president had better get a handle on it.

Truthdig
Report Points to a Pentagon Plot to Subvert Obama’s Syria Policy
Gareth Porter, independent investigative journalist and winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism

Robert Mackey — Ecuador Cuts Internet Access for Julian Assange to Preserve Neutrality in U.S. Election

Correa is not neutral himself. "I want Hillary to win."

The Intercept
Ecuador Cuts Internet Access for Julian Assange to Preserve Neutrality in U.S. Election
Robert Mackey

Zero Hedge
Ecuador Admits Censoring Assange Over "U.S. Election"; Denies "Yielding To Pressure From Other States"

Moon of Alabama — Know-Nothing "Diplomats" Prepare For Hillary's War On Syria — UPDATED

Update on Syria.

Moon of Alabama
Know-Nothing "Diplomats" Prepare For Hillary's War On Syria

See also

Well, well. These people have no idea what they are talking about.

Col. Lang underlined that. It is not a hyperlink.

Sic Semper Tyrannis
51 neocons at State want another Iraq

Col. W. Patrick Lang, US Army (ret.), former military intelligence officer at the US Defense Intelligence Agency

Katehon
US DELIBERATELY MOVES TOWARDS A CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA

EA WorldView
Syria Daily: 51 US Diplomats — Time for Airstrikes on Assad Regime
Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView. He is a specialist in US and British foreign policy and international relations, especially the Middle East and Iran. Formerly he worked as a journalist in the US, writing for newspapers including the Guardian and The Independent and was an essayist for The New Statesman before he founded EA WorldView in November 2008.

Sputnik — Dreadful Premonition: Is ‘US Plan B on Syria a WWIII'?

The good, the bad, and the ugly. What Americans are not being told about "Plan B."

Sputnik International

Dreadful Premonition: Is ‘US Plan B on Syria a WWIII'?

Also:

Torn Apart: What Lies Behind Washington’s 'Plan' B for Syria

Tass, Russian Foreign Ministry rules out handover of Syrian territories to Islamic State

Moon of Alabama — Why Kerry Blames The Opposition For The Continuing Bombing In Syria

MOA finds it unlikely that the US will allow Turkey and Saudi Arabia to drag it into a war with Russia it doesn't want in support of Al Qaeda. 

Recall this all began with Zbig selling Jimmy Carter on sending "freedom fighters" to Afghanistan to destabilize the USSR. It morphed into a monster that turned around and bit the US in the ass and is now destabilizing Europe in addition to MENA. It is far from over, and Russia has now drawn some red lines to put a stop to the insanity. Now the West is drying in its beer over Russian successes.

Moon of Alabama
Why Kerry Blames The Opposition For The Continuing Bombing In Syria

Mike Whitney — Putin Makes Obama an Offer He Can’t Refuse

Putin calls Washington's bluff. Washington found to be holding no cards.

Counterpunch
Putin Makes Obama an Offer He Can’t Refuse
Mike Whitney

Pepe Escobar — That Didn't Take Long: The First Lie about Moscow Meeting —Kerry claims the initiative came from Moscow

Kerry lied the extra mile when he said the US wanted a diplomatic solution. BUT then came the usual talk of “reviewing all options”, including “the possibility of providing defensive systems to Ukraine”. 

Do that – and the Russian response will be devastating. 

No wonder the absolute majority of the EU – apart from crackpot Lithuanians – is opposed to weaponizing Kiev’s goons. 

The Süddeutsche Zeitung – a very decent paper – last Sunday featured Russian military expert Yevgeny Buchinsky warning that if that happens, “Russia will have to intervene, and then, bluntly speaking, to take Kiev. Then NATO would be in a difficult situation. Then you would have to start World War III, which no one wants.” 

That may be a bit Dr. Strangelovian and over the top – but the Süddeutsche Zeitung was on the money to stress Washington weaponizing Kiev’s goons would be interpreted by Russia as a declaration of war.

BTW, no one should be under the illusion that Putin is the commander-in-chief in Russia in the same way that the US president. If the Russian military sees Russia being threatened they will react swiftly and decisively with overwhelming force. Is NATO really ready to start WWIII, which would almost certainly involve the destruction of Europe, over the Ukraine?

Russia Insider
That Didn't Take Long: The First Lie about Moscow Meeting —Kerry claims the initiative came from Moscow
Pepe Escobar

Sputnik — Kremlin Says US Secretary Kerry Not to Visit Moscow After Kiev

Kremlin aide said that Kerry had voiced his desire to come to Moscow after visiting Kiev, however, "his trip won’t happen because of one or another reason."

Sputnik
Kremlin Says US Secretary Kerry Not to Visit Moscow After Kiev

Tass
Russia says Kerry not expected at Moscow talks with leaders of Germany, France

Russkiy Malchik — "We are facing a total war"--Hollande

Situation developing fast. Western European leaders freaking out?

Fort Russ
"We are facing a total war"--Hollande

Russkiy Malchik [Russian Boy]
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk

Kristina Rus — John Kerry tells journalists to look in the social media for proof of Russian troops in Ukraine

ROFLMAO!!!

Fort Russ
John Kerry tells journalists to look in the social media for proof of Russian troops in Ukraine
Kristina Rus

alexrpt — The New York Times reveals that the oil price drop was indeed a US/Saudi agreement to cripple Russia’s economy and overthrow Syria’s Assad

I don't link to the NYT due to the paywall, but here it is. It wasn't just about the US versus Putin, but more about the Saudis versus Assad.

Now the New York Times has revealed that the drastic oil price slump was done in collusion between the US and Saudi Arabia, all in an effort to weaken Putin and force his hand at dumping Assad in Syria…opening the way for Saudi and Qatari energy to transit to Europe.…

The Saudi deal deal to Russia is simple…Putin must announcement that Syria’s leader Bashar is no longer a strategic ally of Russia, and the oil can rise again. Of course Assad would then be torn apart and Puntin discredited and humiliated, but that seems to be the plan hatched by Kerry and the KSA Kings.

The Red Pill Times
The New York Times reveals that the oil price drop was indeed a US/Saudi agreement to cripple Russia’s economy and overthrow Syria’s Assad
alexrpt

In case anyone's missed it, the gloves are coming off and the knives are coming out.

Fort Russ — Kerry to Lavrov: "Don't pay attention to Obama"

"I brought attention to the list of threats that President Obama had announced in his speech at the UN General Assembly," - said the Minister, reported TASS. - "John Kerry said to me: "Well, don't pay any attention."

Kerry could have added, It's just propaganda.

Fort Russ — Read What Russians Read
Kerry to Lavrov: "Don't pay attention to Obama"
Kristina Rus

Jonathan Chait — Obama’s Second Term Is All About Climate Change

When President Obama leaves office three years from now, the major policy story of his second term — barring some kind of unforeseen invasion — is likely to be climate change. I made this argument at feature length last year, and the evidence continues to mount. Coral Davenport reports today about Secretary of State John Kerry’s “systematic, top-down push to create an agencywide focus on global warming.”

Kerry is a longtime climate obsessive. (Ten years ago, I attended an off-the-record discussion with Kerry alongside several journalists, and our main takeaway was that he understood and cared about climate change more than any other issue.) His appointment to run the State Department is one of several Obama second-term moves that signal the high priority he assigns the issue. This is true not only of the figures Obama has appointed to posts that inherently concern climate change, like the his green appointees to run the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, but also to general political advisers, like Denis McDonough and John Podesta, both committed environmentalists who will drive Obama’s climate focus.

New York Magazine
Obama’s Second Term Is All About Climate Change
Jonathan Chait

Thomas Hedges — Imprisoned CIA Whistle-Blower: “Everyone Is Corrupt, I’ve Come to Learn”

Rotten to the core.

It's especially concerning that people like John Kiriakou are being used as warnings to intimidate other potential whistleblowers. This is the Obama version of "transparency" — Orwellian double-speak.

AlterNet

Imprisoned CIA Whistle-Blower: “Everyone Is Corrupt, I’ve Come to Learn”
Thomas Hedges | Salon

Greg Palast — Did Chavez’ Pick Steal the Election in Venezuela?

US engineered Venezuelan coup in the works? Lots more in Palast's account than Venezuela.

Greg Palast Journalism and Film
Did Chavez’ Pick Steal 
the Election in Venezuela?

Greg Palast | Investigative Reporter