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Old September 6th, 2017 #41
Alex Him
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Misleading social media posts on Russia “blocking UN Security Council resolutions on Myanmar”



4 September 2017 - 15:58







Over the past several days a number of articles have been published online alleging that Russia has blocked UN Security Council resolutions on Myanmar. For example, Kavkaz_Novosti news website posted a message to this effect on its Instagram account, citing a Reuters report (https://goo.gl/Bvjiia). At the same time, the Reuters report does not mention any resolutions at all (https://goo.gl/HsQmBt). In this regard, the Foreign Ministry notes that the UN Security Council has not reviewed any draft resolutions on Myanmar in 2017. The situation in Myanmar was discussed at UN Security Council closed meetings in March and in August 2017, but the countries were unable to agree on a joint statement.

The Information and Press Department issued a comment on the aggravated humanitarian situation in Rakhine State in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on September 3, 2017 http://bit.ly/2vF3mRF

We are closely following the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. We are concerned with reports of continued fighting that has killed civilians and members of the Myanmar Government’s law enforcement agencies, as well as the drastic aggravation of the humanitarian situation in this region of the country.

Russia urges all the involved parties to launch a constructive dialogue as soon as possible for the purpose of normalising the situation in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State chaired by Kofi Annan.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2854680
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old September 18th, 2017 #42
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Regarding the anti-Russian publication in The Irish Times on the eve of the elections in Germany



15 September 2017 - 18:03







We have taken note of the article by The Irish Times correspondent Derek Scally titled “Hacking and fake news cast shadows over German election“, which was published on September, 8 of this year.

As Mr. Maaβen, head of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz), D.Scally claims that the website of the German Parliament (Bundestag) was attacked by “Russian hackers” in 2015 and 2016. At the same time he cites Mr. Maaβen who said that the existing level of development of the technical means didn’t let set the involvement of the certain hacker groups to the attacks whenever committed.

However Mr. Scally gives some evidences of the flow of “fake” news in order to prove his questionable ideas. He thinks that lately the Russian diaspora in Germany is to be targeted by massive information propaganda in social networks and this will allegedly influence the future vote in Germany. In order to develop such an idea he also cites Mr. Grosse-Brömer, the German deputy of the ruling party CDU, who claims that “ousting Merkel would be a success for Putin”.

Nevertheless the number of evident contradictions in his argumentation, the author concludes that Russia supposedly prepares the large-scale “misinformation campaign” on the eve of the German federal elections and calls his readers not to lose the vigilance.

The Russian Federation has repeatedly dismissed absolutely baseless allegations on its “interference in the elections in different countries”. That’s why we’d like to pay your attention to the declarations of Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, made on March, 23 of this year touching the fact that Russia didn’t interfere in the election campaign in Germany, and another declaration, made on August, 30 of this year about the German intelligence service which had failed to give some evidences on the Russian interference in the German elections. Touching upon this question, the editor’s position of The Washington Post is significant because in one of its’ articles published on September, 11 of this year it noted the fact of the Russian non-involvement in the elections in Germany.

It is needless to repeat that Russia carries out the coherent policy against the illegal activities in the Internet. We have repeatedly declared our readiness for the large-scale international cooperation in combating the cybercrimes in the frameworks of the bilateral relations and of special international organizations.

We have to acknowledge that the article of D.Scally in The Irish Times is an another shoddy “fake news” based on baseless statements and rumors.

Also we’d like to note that Mr.Scally didn’t address the Russian side for a commentary on this case (nor to the Russian Embassy in Dublin, nor to the Russian Embassy in Berlin) and this fact once again demonstrates the real aim of this so-called “journalist” – to practise the anti-Russian propaganda.



https://www.irishtimes.com/news/worl...tion-1.3213276





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2863958
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 6th, 2017 #43
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“Harassment and detention” of Simon Reeve’s film crew (BBC)



4 October 2017 - 16:21







We took note of the documentary “Russia with Simon Reeve” that was recently aired on BBC Two, which follows British journalists on a tour of Russia’s Far East and was timed to the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution (Mr Reeve will have to explain the connection between the two).

Professionally produced footage of Russian nature, as well as interviews with Russian citizens, are interspersed with anti-Russian political clichés and odious claims of the “harassment and detention” of the film crew by law enforcement, which the British television channel has been using for a long time. The BBC correspondent asks the eternal, hackneyed question of all mainstream media: If they treat foreign journalists like this, what about rank-and-file Russian journalists?

Here’s our answer: Russian citizens and journalists, in particular, do just fine provided they do not forget about the need to abide by Russian law, which Mr Reeve and members of his team ignored for some reason. For example, his cameraman was not properly accredited as a journalist in Russia, and he was fined for unauthorised use of a drone.

Apparently, the BBC journalists found the fine amusing since they again operated the drone without permission.

Furthermore, the journalists were very interested in hazardous areas for some reason. For example, they tried to access an area by a river that was closed due to spring flooding. As you know, entry to such areas is carefully restricted to avoid mishaps, and the journalists were warned about this by law enforcement officers at the site of the incident.

If such cases qualify as “harassment” do these journalists observe the laws and lawful demands of their own law enforcement officers? If not, do they go unpunished?

Reality should not be confused with Russophobic stereotypes. As such, we are adding the documentary to the Fake News section of the ministry’s website.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b096sbzx





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2886708
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 6th, 2017 #44
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BBC takes lessons from CNN.

I was going to post the Maria Zakharova "Stop spreading lies and false news" video, but remembered I already did two pages back.
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Old October 12th, 2017 #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Allan View Post
BBC takes lessons from CNN.
Well, it seems to me that the media know how to do this since their birth



Quote:
I was going to post the Maria Zakharova "Stop spreading lies and false news" video, but remembered I already did two pages back.
Do you think these media will be frightened by Zakharova?
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 12th, 2017 #46
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Russophobic report on Norway’s TV2



9 October 2017 - 18:23









We took notice of a report on Norway’s TV2 channel, “New spy exposure by the Police Security Service (PST): Russian agents pressure Norwegians into spying on their employers,” that aired on September 28, 2017. Obviously, this is yet another attempt to use Western media to incite hatred of our country, this time in neighbouring Norway.

Deliberate disinformation intended to discredit neighbourly relations between Russia and Norway cannot be considered professional journalism. This report will take its rightful place among the third-rate propaganda in which supposed media outlets have been trying to outdo each other for the past few years. The assurances of a PST representative that there is no intention of launching an anti-Russian campaign in the Norwegian media sound awkward against this background of this hack job.

Citing PST information, TV2 reporters accuse Russian secret services of engaging in unprecedented activities in Norway. They are contributing to the atmosphere of generalised fear by claiming that Russian spies are using both conventional methods and the internet. The Russian threat is described as “persistent and elevated.” Without any grounds, these journalists are accusing Russian intelligence of compelling Norwegians to spy and report on their employers. Individuals with ties to Russia – which includes those once living in Russia or having a Russian spouse – are deemed potential “traitors.” They are supposedly subjected to psychological pressure, with the welfare of their relatives or friends in Russia used for the purposes of blackmail. The goal is to establish control over closed computer networks and steal sensitive data on Norway.

We believe such bogus stories only deepen mistrust and antipathy in Russian-Norwegian relations. We are convinced that our countries have no choice but to live together and be good neighbours. As we have repeatedly emphasised, we are ready to conduct an open, trust-based dialogue on any proven cybercrimes, both on a bilateral and multilateral basis. We demand an end to groundless insinuations against Russia, and urge TV2 to return to professional unbiased journalism in covering Russian issues.



http://www.tv2.no/nyheter/9390378/





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2894357
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 13th, 2017 #47
Ray Allan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Him View Post
Well, it seems to me that the media know how to do this since their birth





Do you think these media will be frightened by Zakharova?
No, I just like the video.
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"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."

--Henry A. Kissinger, jewish politician and advisor
 
Old October 29th, 2017 #48
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Report by Rudaw TV “Qamishli hosted talks between the self-government administration, Moscow and Damascus on the future of Syrian Kurdistan.”



26 October 2017 - 16:36







We have taken notice of the October 19 report by the Kurdish Rudaw TV: “Qamishli hosted talks between the self-government administration, Moscow and Damascus on the future of Syrian Kurdistan.” Quoting some anonymous sources, the author of the report said that Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited the Syrian city of Qamishli on October 18 ostensibly for talks with the Syrian Democratic Forces on the issue of Syrian Kurds.

We have to state with regret that rushing for sensations, the fans of the conspiracy theory again forgot to double-check the information of the anonymous source on more reliable resources, for instance the Foreign Ministry website that regularly publishes reports on meetings of deputy foreign ministers. For example, on October 18, Mr Bogdanov had a meeting with Qatari Ambassador to Russia Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, Iraqi Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayad, a delegation of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party led by Taymour Jumblatt and Saudi Ambassador to Russia Ibrahim Al Rassi. All meetings took place in Moscow. Mr Bogdanov visited Qamishli only once, in 1985, when he served as the First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in the Syrian Arab Republic.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2923650
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 31st, 2017 #49
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Federica Mogherini’s fake letter



29 October 2017 - 19:19







It is important to emphasise that the letter currently circulating online by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini to Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs Konrad Szymanski is fake, and was confirmed as such by the EU External Action Service. The letter alleges that Ms Mogherini calls on the Polish government to review its position on the education reform underway in Ukraine.

https://amp.reddit.com/r/poland/comm...not_overreact/





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2924719
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 31st, 2017 #50
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Regarding an item from South Africa’s Sunday Times titled ‘From Russia with love: How Putin had a hand in Cabinet reshuffle’



30 October 2017 - 14:08







The item titled “From Russia with love: How Putin had a hand in Cabinet reshuffle,” published by South Africa’s Sunday Times dated October 22, is very instructive reading. It shows that anti-Russian hysteria has reached South Africa.

Like a typical Western mainstream media cliché, the Sunday Times reports, citing unnamed sources, that the new Energy Minister, David Mahlobo, was appointed on direct orders from President Vladimir Putin. The authors allege that Putin’s instructions were delivered to SA by a “top-level team” comprising “members of the military, the police and the intelligence” who reached Cape Town via Mozambique. The authors point out that these people “do not normally leave Russia.”

According to insiders, “their unequivocal message to Zuma was to speed up and conclude a multibillion-dollar nuclear deal with the Russians.” The authors then provide a pile of speculation – which they admit to being speculation – about the recent cabinet reshuffles.

This item creates mixed feelings. On the one hand, it definitely makes interesting reading and could even be good as a rough idea for a James Bond movie. On the other hand, we are sincerely embarrassed by the Sunday Times journalists’ plummeting professional standards and their paranoid attempts to convince the public that the Kremlin’s long arm has reached the Cape of Good Hope.



https://www.pressreader.com/south-af...81479276656330





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2926344
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old October 31st, 2017 #51
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Regarding The Times comment ‘Putin has endorsed chemical weapons’



31 October 2017 - 13:36







We have taken note of a comment titled “Putin has endorsed chemical weapons” by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon published in The Times.

This “expert” writes that Russia’s veto on the US-proposed resolution to extend the OPCW-UN Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), which works to identify the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria, before it published a report on its findings this year will help the culprits evade responsibility and “gives open season to all terrorists and despots to use chemical, biological and nuclear weapons with the knowledge that the UN Security Council, at least, is unlikely to bring them to book.”

It is interesting that Mr Bretton-Gordon repeats almost word for word what White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley have said on this topic and completely disregards the Russian Foreign Ministry comments of October 24 and 25.

We see this as open twisting of the facts and distorting Russia’s position. Mr Bretton-Gordon, let us say this again exclusively for your benefit: We are convinced that the JIM’s mandate should be only extended after its performance is assessed, as per UN Security Council Resolution 2319.

The experts who tend to avoid unpleasant details should know that Resolution 2319 stipulates the possibility of updating the JIM’s mandate if the Security Council deems this necessary, and that conclusions regarding the updating of the JIM’s mandate cannot be made before the publication of its performance report.

In other words, the United States and its supporters tried to prevent the UN Security Council from taking a qualified decision on the JIM’s future. We would like to remind that after the United States alleged that Damascus used chemical weapons in 2013, the terrorists felt they could act with impunity, which led to a dramatic increase in the number of chemical attacks. This led to the large-scale provocation at Khan Sheikhoun and the subsequent US missile attack at Syria’s Shayrat Air Base in violation of the UN Charter and the universal norms of international law.

Furthermore, we would like to point out Russia’s consistent position in favour of the liquidation of chemical weapons. On September 27, 2017, Russia reported the liquidation of its last remaining chemical stocks. The United States has not acted likewise. We would like to say also that it was thanks to Syria’s good will and concerted international efforts that Syria’s chemical weapons have been removed from the country and subsequently destroyed.

Many Western pseudo-experts, who publish such statements, refer those who are dissatisfied to the famous phrase by Guardian editor CP Scott, “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” We suggest such experts as Mr Bretton-Gordon and The Times editorial board take note of the following quotation from famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy: “Ignorance in itself is neither shameful nor harmful. Nobody can know everything. But pretending that you know what you actually do not know is both shameful and harmful.”

We invite The Times to heed the master’s advice, or else this respected publication will continue its rapid descent to the level of a smear sheet.



https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/c...pons-hhxz6hct7





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2926952
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 25th, 2017 #52
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Apropos “acoustic attacks” against US Embassy staff in Tashkent



21 December 2017 - 17:31







On November 28, CBS News published a ridiculous report about “acoustic attacks” against US Embassy staff in Tashkent. The CBS News journalist went so far as to say that the incident in Uzbekistan “is raising suspicions Russia may have been involved and could have had a hand in bizarre attacks targeting US diplomats” in Havana. The same day, US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter: “We can confirm that there was no incident in Uzbekistan and that no personnel at the US Embassy in Uzbekistan have been diagnosed with the conditions that have been observed in Cuba.”

(https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/st...90064268161024).

Despite this public refutation by an American official, some US media continued to write about the Kremlin’s “acoustic attacks.” These assumptions are based on Russia’s trust-based relations with Uzbekistan and Cuba, which allegedly allows Moscow to conduct subversive activities against US officials in other countries.

There are absolutely no grounds for such absurd allegations, as we have said before. We urge CBS News journalists to stop writing items based on the paranoid sentiments that are proliferating in the US media and to resume their prior commitment to high professional standards.



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uzbekis...-cuba-attacks/





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/2999920
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old January 20th, 2018 #53
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Sudwest Presse article “Russia: A big settlement of accounts with the US”



18 January 2018 - 17:28







We took note of the article by Stefan Scholl published by the German newspaper Sudwest Presse on January 16 under the title “Russia: A big settlement of accounts with the US” (Russland: Große Abrechnung mit den USA). This article, written after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s annual press conference on January 15, is more fake news.

First, Scholl confidently ascribes to Lavrov an idea that he did not voice and was not even close: “The unarmed demonstration of pro-Ukrainian Tatars in March 2014 was presented by him (Sergey Lavrov) as an attack on the Crimean Parliament by Islamist extremists.” But what did the Russian Foreign Minister actually say? Here’s the accurate quote: “A short time after this, on February 26, the putschists (those who had seized power in Kiev) directly authorised the use of force by the Right Sector, as well as such organisations as Hizb ut-Tahrir and a Wahhabi group to take the Crimean Supreme Council building by storm. Many tend to forget about this now. All this happened within five days of the European grandees’ failure to persuade members of the opposition to deliver on what they signed onto on February 20. Only after that did all the processes begin, after the use of force was authorised against the Crimean Supreme Council and it immediately became crystal clear that the Crimeans wanted nothing to do with this illegitimate government. This was also a violation of international law, including the Budapest Memorandum I mentioned earlier on, under which Ukraine undertook not to support xenophobic sentiments.”

We would like to take a moment to remind Scholl and Sudwest Presse what “the unarmed demonstration of pro-Ukrainian Tatars” on February 26, 2014 looked like and what it could have led to.

It is widely known that two people were trampled to death, but there was no assault. It was only owing to the selfless actions of local law enforcement officers, Crimean politicians and ordinary citizens that bloodshed and open confrontation between ethnic communities living on the peninsula were prevented. It would be interesting to know how Scholl would have described this “unarmed demonstration” if his friends or relatives were part of it.

Second, while accusing Sergey Lavrov of playing loose with the facts in his comments on the situation in Ukraine, the German correspondent wrote in black and white that Maidan took place after February 20, 2014, when in reality it had taken place a couple of months before. Similar events had taken place several years before as well. Displaying amazing consistency, Scholl decides to keep silent on who organised these maidans and how, and what role the German Government played in them. Scholl does not remind his readers how the “peaceful demonstrations” ended in Kiev where civilians were killed by “unidentified” snipers and what happened after the radicals of the Right Sector (banned in Russia) and maidan self-defence units set fire to the House of Trade Unions in Odessa on May 2, 2014 when at least 48 people were burned alive. Nor does he mention the “trains of friendship” with radicals that were sent by Kiev in February-March 2014 to subdue Crimea. To sum up, Scholl decided not to mention any events that do not fit the mythology of “the revolution of dignity.”

Third, his choice to quote Roman Tsymbalyuk, the correspondent of a Ukrainian news agency working in Moscow, as an expert commentator is questionable. He is unbiased on every topic except Ukraine. In rough Moscow where life, in the opinion of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, is as dangerous as in Somalia, the Ukrainian correspondent has been selflessly fighting the “aggressor” behind enemy lines for more than one year. We are wondering why Scholl did not quote eye-witnesses of the “Crimean Spring” or Russian journalists whom the Kiev regime repeatedly kicked out of Ukraine, accusing them of endangering national security.

We hope the editors of Zudwest Presse will read our comment and take it to heart.


http://static6.swp-plus.de/ulm/nachr...222886,4506222




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3023202
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old February 15th, 2018 #54
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The latest anti-Russian campaign in Western media



14 February 2018 - 16:58







We have noted a number of articles published by Western media in the latest campaign to denigrate Russia’s role in fighting terrorism in Syria. Here are just a few of the many examples: “Syria’s Idlib province pounded by Russian airstrikes, activists say” (The Washington Post, February 5); “Russia bombs Syria rebel strongholds after jet is shot down” (Newsweek, February 5); “Biggest airstrikes in a year hit Syria after rebels shoot down Russian jet” (The Guardian, February 6); “Devastating Russian airstrikes of retribution in Syria” (Deutsche Welle, February 5); “Russia launches an offensive after the jet is downed” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, February 5). These articles are obviously carbon-copies – their style and reasoning are strikingly similar.

The misinformation comes down to allegations that the Russian Aerospace Forces are striking rebel strongholds in Idlib, killing civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure, including medical institutions. The Syrian Army is being groundlessly accused of using chemical weapons.

These journalists describe as “rebels” Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that claimed responsibility for downing on February 3 the Russian Su-25 assault aircraft piloted by Major Roman Filippov. He was monitoring compliance with the ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham emerged as an offshoot of the terrorist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra in 2017, which took under its operational control a number of other units of the anti-government armed opposition. Jabhat al-Nusra, which severed ties with al-Qaeda at one point, and its spawn Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are blacklisted by the international community as terrorist organisations despite the assurances of al-Nusra leaders that they have split with al-Qaeda. Nobody takes such statements seriously. The attempts of the Western media to disavow Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s links with al-Qaeda on this basis are unfounded and only designed to mislead the public in the West about the nature of the targets attacked by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Army.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has emphasised many times that terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra continue to be able to offer resistance because they have external support, including from the media. The elimination of this terrorist group, no matter what name it assumes, is one of the key goals of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria.

It is telling that representatives of the White Helmets are quoted in these articles. This organisation has discredited itself to the point that its mere mention as a source gives cause to doubt the authenticity of a story. Social media is littered with videos showing “rescuers” from the White Helmets putting makeup on “victims of the Syrian Government’s brutality” or alleged bombing by the Russian Aerospace Forces. They are closely cooperating with terrorist organisations and are often seen with weapons in hand on the side of terrorists during combat operations. The video showing White Helmets “helping” already dead children caused a stir.

The authors of some articles are making new attempts to hold Russia and the lawful Syrian Government responsible for the use of toxic agents in Idlib. To the contrary, Russia has consistently advocated the complete elimination of chemical arms in Syria. Owing to Moscow’s peacemaking initiative, an agreement was reached on the liquidation of Syria’s chemical arsenal. In the middle of 2014 precursors of chemical arms were removed from Syria with Moscow and Washington’s cooperation.

Moreover, in October 2017 the US Department of State reported the use of toxic agents by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib, thereby admitting that terrorists have chemical weapons. Nonetheless, this high-profile statement did not garner the attention of world media.

These bogus stories are being published against the background of Russian diplomatic efforts, including the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held in Sochi on January 29-30. An anti-Russia campaign was also launched by the Western media simultaneously with the successful liberation of Aleppo by the Syrian government troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces, which suggests some parallels.

These attempts of the Western media to discredit Russia’s role in the struggle against terrorists are regrettable. We see them as part of the double game played by some of our Western partners that divide terrorists into good and bad in the pursuit of their myopic geopolitical interests.



The Washington Post, February 5: “Syria’s Idlib province pounded by Russian airstrikes, activists say” (By Erin Cunningham and Louisa Loveluck)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.7ac13133eee9



The Guardian, February 6: “Biggest airstrikes in a year hit Syria after rebels shoot down Russian jet.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...st-syria-idlib



Newsweek, February 5: “Russia bombs Syria rebel strongholds after jet is shot down.”

http://www.newsweek.com/russian-forc...ot-down-799308



Deutsche Welle , February 5: “Devastating Russian airstrikes of retribution in Syria.”

http://www.dw.com/de/verheerende-rus...ien/a-42458136



Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, February 5: “Russia launches an offensive after the jet is downed.”

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/a...-15433154.html




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3076708
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old February 20th, 2018 #55
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Article published by Africa24.info



20 February 2018 - 16:31







We have taken note of an item published by the website Africa24.info on February 11 with the alarmist headline, “Urgent: Russia demands that France stop using CFA franc*” (Urgent: La Russie donne un ultimatum à la France de mettre fin au FCFA).

Citing anonymous Russian sources, Africa24.info reports that during talks with his French counterpart, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov allegedly called on Paris to end the CFA franc zone for 14 West African and Central African countries. The Russian minister is claimed to have said that France had six months to do so or else Russia would ban French imports.

The piece includes the following statement attributed to the Russian minister: “We cannot look on silently at the disadvantage and poverty of African states due to the use of a currency that has been forced on them. The colonial period is over. It is time African states gained full independence and assumed control of everything.”

It appears that Africa24.info carefully chose when to post this article. Publication coincided with the latest flare-up of protests in the former French colonies in West and Central Africa. Presented against this backdrop, the fake “Russian ultimatum” has sparked a massive outcry among the French-speaking media. However, the Senegalese online outlet Téranga News has asked Africa24.info to confirm that these were indeed words spoken by the Russian official.

As expected, Africa24.info journalists were not available for comment. Our readers will find it interesting that the central office of Africa24.info is in California, which is very far away from Africa. It appears that the United States is the best place for collecting the most reliable information about Russia’s policy in Europe and Africa.

Following the lead of the Russian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, we call out the scurrilous and absurd nature of the item published by Africa24.info. We caution serious publications, including in Africa, against trying to turn anonymous speculation about Russia’s foreign policy into an international sensation.



* The CFA franc is the name of two currencies (the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc) used in 14 African countries which are guaranteed by the French treasury.



http://africa24.info/2018/02/10/pout...e-fin-au-fcfa/

http://teranganews.sn/2018/02/fact-c...ion-franc-cfa/




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3087041
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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Old March 1st, 2018 #56
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Update on reports about the joint operation by Russia and Argentina to intercept a drug shipment to Russia



27 February 2018 - 21:56








Ambiguous and outright false publications continue to spread in a number of media outlets and on social media despite the official statements released by the Foreign Ministry, the Federal Security Service and the Russian Embassy to Argentina on the successful operation by the law enforcement agencies of Russia and Argentina to intercept a drug shipment organised with the involvement of a former maintenance worker of the Russian Embassy to Argentina. Most of these publications can be clearly referred to as fake news.

These publications abound with unverified information and conspiracy theories, coming from both “independent bloggers and Telegram channels,” as well as professional journalists. One can only guess why Deutsche Welle, an agency financed from Germany’s federal budget, published articles of this kind, including those authored by Konstantin von Eggert.

The information conveyed by these so-called insiders and couch conspirologists has nothing to do with reality.

Here are some fake assertions that have resonated the most:

1) “Narcotic drugs that were supposed to be shipped to the European markets were discovered by Argentina, after which the Russian Embassy joined the investigation.” The Foreign Ministry stresses yet again that it was the other way around. The Russian Embassy staff discovered the drugs, as both Russia and our Argentinian partners have said on multiple occasions.

2) “Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev was urgently dispatched to Argentina to deal with the situation.” Under the international protocol practice, high-level visits of this kind are carefully planned and coordinated well in advance, which takes even longer if a conversation with the country’s leadership is on the agenda. Nikolai Patrushev’s visit was no exception: it was prepared in advance, taking into account the prospect of a meeting with President of Argentina Mauricio Macri.

3) “Drugs were to be delivered to Moscow by diplomatic pouch.” Once again, the shipment could not have been sent by diplomatic channels. Presenting the matter this way is indicative of the complete ignorance of the mechanism and procedure of sending diplomatic mail, the content of which is certainly not determined by the mission’s maintenance workers.

4) Unfortunately, even those who already left this world have not been spared by this informational onslaught. “The links between a former member of the Foreign Ministry’s Latin America Department, the late Petr Poshikov, with drug cartel” was mentioned in publications.
He lost his life in a tragic accident that was not related to his professional activity.

5) The newspaper Kommersant in its February 27, 2018 edition published an article “Suitcases used as bait to catch drug dealers,” claiming that “another person, formerly employed as a maintenance staff member by diplomatic missions in Germany, Andrey Kovalchuk, avoided arrest by hiding in this country.” The Foreign Ministry renews its call on the journalists to verify the “sensational” information, since Andrey Kovalchuk was never employed as a member of the maintenance staff by Russia’s diplomatic missions in Germany, and in general never worked for the Foreign Ministry.

6) In an article “Five arrested in Argentinian cocaine case. Tracks lead to Germany” that appeared in Rossiyskaya Gazeta journalists point to the fact that the Foreign Ministry and the Federal Security Service provided different numbers on the weight of the confiscated cocaine shipment. “The Federal Security Service reported about 362 kilograms of confiscated cocaine, while the Foreign Ministry mentioned 389 kilograms. The police discovered the drugs in a schooling and residential facility of the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires.” The Foreign Ministry has never communicated on the specific weight of the confiscated drug shipment.

7) An article by 812’ONLINE of February 26, 2018, titled “Heart attacks suffered by Russian diplomats could be related to the cocaine case,” is not only misleading but also insulting and even outrageous. By making these groundless accusations, those who is responsinle for writing this piece have clearly failed to think about the relatives of the diplomats who are no longer with us.

8) The report “From control to a cartel. Who controls the Russian drug market and how” released by Nastoyaschee Vremya (Present Time) television channel on its website on February 26, 2018 is misleading. Its authors went as far as to claim that “Russia’s domestic market for narcotic drugs has long been controlled by the Foreign Ministry and the relevant law enforcement agencies.”

These are just a few of the examples of intentional misrepresentations. There are hundreds of publications of this kind.

The Foreign Ministry reiterates that the investigation of this case has yet to be completed. The investigative procedures are underway, and the details on the operations of the criminal group are being clarified in order to hold the person behind this criminal activity to account. Under Russian law, the investigative authorities are in charge of investigating criminal cases, so their comments are the only credible source of information on this matter.

Russia’s Ambassador to Argentina, Viktor Koronelli, provided clarifications on this case in a number of interviews with the Russian media.

Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Argentina Viktor Koronelli:

https://www.rbc.ru/society/26/02/201...79471767a0d139

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/355922...BB%D0%BB%D0%B8

https://ria.ru/incidents/20180227/1515367486.html

Comment by the Russian Embassy in Argentina on the February 25, 2018 post at mmironov.livejournal.com “About Argentinian cocaine or why the Foreign Ministry is lying?”

https://argentina.mid.ru/-/kommentar...kij-kokain-ili




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3101243
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old March 2nd, 2018 #57
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Bloomberg article, “Cocaine Bust Is the Latest Sign of Putin’s Weakness”



1 March 2018 - 19:12







In the Bloomberg article, “Cocaine Bust Is the Latest Sign of Putin’s Weakness”, published on February 28, 2018, the author, Leonid Bershidsky passes along distortions and conjecture around the joint drug interdiction operation of Russian and Argentine law enforcement agencies that have been repeatedly refuted. Here are a few specific examples.

For example, the author writes that “someone found bags filled with almost 400 kilogrammes of cocaine stored in the embassy school building.”

We reiterate that the drugs were discovered by employees of the Russian Embassy. This was repeatedly stated both by the Russian side and by our Argentine partners. At the same time, we would like to note once again that the Russian Foreign Ministry has never indicated the exact weight of the consignment, as that is for the investigative authorities to share.

The insinuations of “Russian economist Maxim Mironov, who lives in Buenos Aires and whose children attend the school” have already been thoroughly refuted in a statement from the Russian Embassy in Argentina, which is available on the official website of the diplomatic mission.

Andrey Kovalchuk, who is mentioned in the article, had never worked as a technical employee of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany (the Russian Embassy in Berlin published a statement to this effect), and he did not work either in the Central Office or in the Ministry's Security Department.

These are just some examples of the fake news contained in the article. Again, the investigation of the case is not yet complete.

We recommend that Mr Bershidsky acquaint himself with the relevant statements on the official websites of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Federal Security Service, as well as with a number of recent interviews of Russian Ambassador to Argentina Viktor Koronelli.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...ng-a-mob-state

Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Argentina

https://www.rbc.ru/society/26/02/201...79471767a0d139

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/355922...BB%D0%BB%D0%B8

https://ria.ru/incidents/20180227/1515367486.html

http://www.ng.ru/world/2018-02-27/6_7181_posol.html

Comment by the Russian Embassy in Argentina

https://argentina.mid.ru/-/kommentar...kij-kokain-ili

Comment by the Russian Embassy in Germany

https://www.facebook.com/denis.miker...08733651098047

Comment by the Russian Security Service

http://www.fsb.ru/fsb/press/message/...sbMessage.html

Comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry

http://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3090796

http://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3101243




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3103685
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old March 7th, 2018 #58
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More fake news on the joint Russian-Argentine operation to disrupt drug trafficking



5 March 2018 - 19:19







Conspiracy theorists continue to obsess over efforts to shut down a drug trafficking channel from Argentina to Russia. The latest fuel on the fire is the article “The Foreign Ministry, Cocaine and Hyena Dances,” published by the website Voyennoye Obozreniye (Military Review) on March 3, 2018.

In the first paragraph, it is stated that a request for comment was submitted to the “relevant department,” but “as expected,” none was forthcoming. We do not know exactly which department they are talking about, but neither the Information and Press Department, nor the Latin American Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry received any requests from Voyennoye Obozreniye.

But the outlet “managed to interview” a “department employee” Ruslan Arefyev, who agreed to talk with the Voyennoye Obozreniye “correspondent.” Note, there is no person named Ruslan Arefyev on the staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The whole interview is falsehood after falsehood.

False: “The security adviser to the Ambassador to Turkey, who worked in Ankara during the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, was transferred after those events to Argentina to live in exile." Truth: The current security adviser to the Russian Ambassador to Argentina has never worked or even been there.

False: “The protection of the embassy is handled by the Zaslon group, which provides special border forces.” Truth: Guarding the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires is the job of duty commandants. All of them are members of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia. The Zaslon detachment has nothing to do with this. In addition, the security of Russian diplomatic missions and citizens abroad is regulated by Russian law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, according to which responsibility for the security of foreign diplomatic missions rests with the host country.

False: “Argentine law enforcement agencies requested ‘orders be issued to inspect’ the embassy school.” Truth: Drugs were found in the basement of the school and residential building of the Embassy by the new director of economic issues. In December 2016, Russian Ambassador to Argentina Viktor Koronelli informed the Argentine authorities about this after receiving instructions from the Centre. After that, a carefully planned joint Russian-Argentine operation was launched to shut down the drug trafficking channel, which was conducted by the secret services of the two countries – the Ministry of Security of Argentina and the Russian Federal Security Service. This topic was emphasised by Viktor Koronelli in his interviews with the Russian and Argentine media (RIA Novosti, RBC, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Kommersant – the texts are also posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website).

False: “Formally, a company with the interesting name ‘Inpredkadry’ is engaged in the selection of personnel for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Truth: Inpredkadry is a structural subdivision of the Main Directorate for Servicing the Diplomatic Corps. The Federal State Unitary Enterprise The Main Production and Commercial Directorate for Servicing the Diplomatic Corps of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia deals with issues related to the placement and servicing of diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign countries, missions of international organisations and mass media, as well as with performing work and providing services related to the maintenance of functioning of diplomatic missions and consular establishments in Russia.

Inpredkadry, a branch of the Main Directorate for Servicing the Diplomatic Corps, provides recruitment services for missions of foreign countries in Russia (!). Issues related to employment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia are under the jurisdiction of the Human Resources Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

False: “Police in Argentina are called ‘Uncle Sideburns.’ Truth: What on earth are you talking about, “Ruslan”?

And these are just some examples of the nonsense contained in the article. We hope it’s clear that the interview of this “Ruslan Arefyev” is a fake, perhaps even made-to-order.

https://topwar.ru/137130-mid-kokain-i-tancy-gien.html




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3107900
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old March 11th, 2018 #59
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New York Times article ‘Will Russia Meddle in Italy's Election? It May Not Have To’



7 March 2018 - 19:41







We took note of the article “Will Russia Meddle in Italy's Election? It May Not Have To,” which appeared in the US publication The New York Times on March 1.

Long before the start of the election campaign, Russia was accused of interference in the internal affairs of Italy, in particular in its parliamentary elections. On the eve of the vote in Italy, prominent stories have appeared in the Western media explaining "the techniques of Russian interference" and how the Russians allegedly use them in practice, with the parliamentary elections in Italy offered as an example.

The target of the current information attacks on Russia is clear – the people of Italy. The goal was to frighten the Italian people and set them against Russia in order to sway the elections.

Russia, in turn, consistently declares that electoral processes, elections – whether in Italy or any other country – are an inalienable element of democracy, as they represent the free expression of the public will. We invariably emphasise that we will respect the legitimate choice of voters in any country in the world. The same applies to Italy. We look forward to working together with the future Italian government, regardless of its party affiliation. With open minds and respect for the choice of the Italian people, we are ready to promote in every possible way the positive continuity of Russian-Italian relations.



https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/w...on-russia.html




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3114783
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old March 13th, 2018 #60
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The Foreign Ministry knew: Another round of campaign to discredit 2018 FIFA World Cup



12 March 2018 - 21:31







We have repeatedly warned that before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, the Western media will launch a large-scale campaign to discredit Russia and to undermine trust in the country as a host of this sports event. Thus, it was said during the weekly briefings on May 25, 2017 and January 12, 2018.

As we expected, the English are especially active. They cannot forgive Russia for winning the right to host the tournament in a fair contest. British media are urging people to boycott the World Cup. Not only journalists suggest doing so, but also officials such as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson and Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Commons. The pretext was the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, the investigation of which has not yet come to a close, and in fact, has not yet really begun. However, this did not stop British politicians from coming to conclusions about Russia’s involvement in the case. So a boycott of the World Cup would punish the country. At the same time, it seems they have not decided yet on who was supposed to boycott the event: the Royal family and officials or the English national team itself. We want to emphasise once again that such provocative false stories, which stir up anti-Russian hysteria, only complicate the relationship between our countries and harm global sports.

A similar order is being implemented in Germany. Its largest tabloid, Bild, decided to “ask” their national team whether they want to go to Russia. The poll was accompanied with a photo of a girl who was allegedly wounded during the airstrike of the Russian Aerospace Forces in eastern Ghouta on March 8. Unfortunately, Bild again uses young victims in their speculations and forgets about argumentation and any proof. It is not for the first time that Bild uses large sports events to discredit Russia: back in 2014 the newspaper was one of the main sources of scandalous gossip about the preparations and hosting of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Bild Editor-in-Chief Julian Reichelt developed his propaganda narrative in the British Daily Mail and likened the 2018 World Cup to the “notorious” 1936 Olympics which took place in Berlin. Well, your guides are outdated. Propagandists compared the Sochi Olympics with the Berlin Olympics, too.

To the credit of the participants in the poll – footballers, sponsors of the national team and officials did not take the bait.

We would like to again say that sports in general and football in particular are aimed at uniting people of various religions and nationalities and at giving positive emotions and joy. And the attempts to politicise it and involve athletes as well as coaches in it simply shows the professional incompetence of journalists who chase sensations and page views.



https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/w...8760.bild.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...up-Russia.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ish-Putin.html




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-p...ent/id/3117582
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