southfront--2020-06-08--US Congress Prepares Extra Sanctions In Effort To Kill Off Nord Stream 2

The US has stepped up its effort to kill off the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline , with the announcement of a bill presented to the Congress that would expand sanctions against companies participating in the project .
The latest US machinations pose a great challenge for the EU as a whole as well as for individual member States , which must decide whether to comply with the latest US dictates – and thereby lock themselves into dependency on much more expensive and distant gas suppliers for many years – or to defy the US actions and face the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US .
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill proposing to retroactively expand the scope of sanctions enacted in December to include any company that will or has provided insurance , equipment and technology services , port facilities , tethering , site surveying , or even the placing of rocks on the Gazprom-owned infrastructure project .
It also applies to the TurkStream pipeline from Russia to Turkey .
The December sanctions targeted pipe-laying ships , causing Swiss-Dutch company Allseas to pull out of the project just before Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week reported that the pipe-laying ship most likely to resume construction on Nord Stream 2 , Akademik Cherskiy , was removed from the Gazprom fleet ’ s official website .
It is now listed in Russia ’ s ship registration database as belonging to the Samara Thermal Energy Property Fund — a private joint venture between two regional Gazprom subsidiaries .
Gazprom Flot ’ s apparent divestment of the ship is widely perceived as an attempt to shield itself from sanctions .
The 1,240 kilometre-long pipeline — meant to double the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the Baltic Sea to 110 billion cubic meters per year — has two parallel sections of pipe , each about 75 kilometres long , left to be laid in Danish and German waters .
The project is fiercely opposed by the US , Poland , Ukraine and the Baltic countries , supposedly on the basis that it as an instrument of Russian geopolitical influence .
However , their opposition also has a major economic component , as the US is attempting to capture a large part of the market for the supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Nord Stream 2 is not completed for itself ( at a much higher cost for EU members ) , and Poland and the Ukraine in particular fear that Russia may reduce its shipments of gas through their countries once Nord Stream 2 is completed .
Apart from the higher cost of alternative US gas supplies , many European energy companies have invested heavily in the project and would suffer enormous losses if they abandon the project when it is so close to completion .
When Allseas abandoned the project , Russian President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country could finish the job alone by year ’ s end .
Akademik Cherskiy sailed from the Sea of Japan to the Baltic , arriving in May .
By mid-May , aerial photos showed sections of pipe being moved at the Nord Stream 2 logistics base off the German port of Mukran .
It is expected that the final pipe-laying will take three to four months .
However , doubts remain over whether the Cherskiy can complete the project under the terms of Nord Stream 2 ’ s construction permit from the Danish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to face a series of legal challenges if the sanctions are ineffective .
If Washington passes the legislation— or actually imposes the December sanctions against the main Gazprom entity , which it has so far refrained from doing — that would put huge pressure on the EU to respond given the company supplies some 40 percent of Europe ’ s natural gas .
Josep Borrell , the EU ’ s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy , affirmed last year , “ The EU does not recognise the extraterritorial application of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be contrary to international law.
” Nonetheless , the EU has repeatedly given in to US demands in the past .
A question submitted on 23 March by French MEP Emmanuel Maurel asking the Commission what it intends to do to protect European companies involved in the project has so far gone unanswered .
Meanwhile , the transit of Russian gas through Poland is set to continue despite the geopolitical disputes , threats and other obstacles .
A gas transit deal between Russia and Poland concluded in the 1990s expired on May 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to comply with European Union rules and seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel .
On May 17 Poland ’ s gas grid operator started auctioning off capacity on the Yamal pipeline that carries Russian gas from the northern Yamal peninsula to Poland and on to Germany .
The pipeline through Poland has annual capacity of 33 billion cubic metres ( bcm ) .
On July 6 an annual auction will be held for pipeline capacity between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021 on the EU ’ s pipelines .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be completed early next year , construction has faced many delays because of US sanctions .
In the meantime , it is expected that Russia will continue to transport gas through Poland as before : Gazprom ’ s spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Reuters last week that gas would still transit through Poland , but did not go into details about whether transit fees might rise .
Nord Stream 2 is meant to carry 55 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea when it is completed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the existing Nord Stream pipeline .
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The US has stepped up its effort to kill off the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, with the announcement of a bill presented to the Congress that would expand sanctions against companies participating in the project. The latest US machinations pose a great challenge for the EU as a whole as well as for individual member States, which must decide whether to comply with the latest US dictates – and thereby lock themselves into dependency on much more expensive and distant gas suppliers for many years – or to defy the US actions and face the prospect of a major sanctions war with the US.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill proposing to retroactively expand the scope of sanctions enacted in December to include any company that will or has provided insurance, equipment and technology services, port facilities, tethering, site surveying, or even the placing of rocks on the Gazprom-owned infrastructure project. It also applies to the TurkStream pipeline from Russia to Turkey.
The December sanctions targeted pipe-laying ships, causing Swiss-Dutch company Allseas to pull out of the project just before Christmas.
“The original sanctions legislation … was tremendously effective at thwarting the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement. “We must now continue that effort and ensure that Russia does not surreptitiously extend its malign influence throughout Europe.”
An article in Russian outlet RBC last week reported that the pipe-laying ship most likely to resume construction on Nord Stream 2, Akademik Cherskiy, was removed from the Gazprom fleet’s official website. It is now listed in Russia’s ship registration database as belonging to the Samara Thermal Energy Property Fund — a private joint venture between two regional Gazprom subsidiaries.
Gazprom Flot’s apparent divestment of the ship is widely perceived as an attempt to shield itself from sanctions.
The 1,240 kilometre-long pipeline — meant to double the amount of gas shipped from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea to 110 billion cubic meters per year — has two parallel sections of pipe, each about 75 kilometres long, left to be laid in Danish and German waters.
The project is fiercely opposed by the US, Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, supposedly on the basis that it as an instrument of Russian geopolitical influence. However, their opposition also has a major economic component, as the US is attempting to capture a large part of the market for the supply of gas that would be left vacant if Nord Stream 2 is not completed for itself (at a much higher cost for EU members), and Poland and the Ukraine in particular fear that Russia may reduce its shipments of gas through their countries once Nord Stream 2 is completed.
Apart from the higher cost of alternative US gas supplies, many European energy companies have invested heavily in the project and would suffer enormous losses if they abandon the project when it is so close to completion.
“Western European energy companies from Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands have committed to invest almost €1 billion each in the project, and more than 1,000 companies from 25 countries are fully committed to seeing the project completed,” said Sebastian Sass, spokesperson for Nord Stream 2.
When Allseas abandoned the project, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed in January that his country could finish the job alone by year’s end.
Akademik Cherskiy sailed from the Sea of Japan to the Baltic, arriving in May. By mid-May, aerial photos showed sections of pipe being moved at the Nord Stream 2 logistics base off the German port of Mukran. It is expected that the final pipe-laying will take three to four months.
However, doubts remain over whether the Cherskiy can complete the project under the terms of Nord Stream 2’s construction permit from the Danish Energy Agency, which would be certain to face a series of legal challenges if the sanctions are ineffective.
If Washington passes the legislation— or actually imposes the December sanctions against the main Gazprom entity, which it has so far refrained from doing — that would put huge pressure on the EU to respond given the company supplies some 40 percent of Europe’s natural gas.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, affirmed last year, “The EU does not recognise the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions, which it considers to be contrary to international law.”
“We should remember that in energy there is mutual dependency,” Borrell said last month at Germany’s annual ambassadors’ conference. “We need a smart balance between firmness and sanctions with Russia with a careful attempt at engagement in selective areas.” LINK
Nonetheless, the EU has repeatedly given in to US demands in the past. A question submitted on 23 March by French MEP Emmanuel Maurel asking the Commission what it intends to do to protect European companies involved in the project has so far gone unanswered.
Meanwhile, the transit of Russian gas through Poland is set to continue despite the geopolitical disputes, threats and other obstacles. A gas transit deal between Russia and Poland concluded in the 1990s expired on May 17, as Warsaw amends its energy regulations to comply with European Union rules and seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel.
On May 17 Poland’s gas grid operator started auctioning off capacity on the Yamal pipeline that carries Russian gas from the northern Yamal peninsula to Poland and on to Germany. The pipeline through Poland has annual capacity of 33 billion cubic metres (bcm).
“The new mechanism entered into force on May 17 and there is a client who uses the new mechanism. One can assume that it is Gazprom Export, which has been using this route from Russia to Germany. It booked 90% of capacity for the third quarter and on Monday booked capacity for June,” Piotr Naimski told Reuters.
On July 6 an annual auction will be held for pipeline capacity between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021 on the EU’s pipelines.
Although the Nord Stream-2 undersea pipeline expected was expected to be completed early next year, construction has faced many delays because of US sanctions. In the meantime, it is expected that Russia will continue to transport gas through Poland as before:
“Taking into account a potential delay in Nord Stream-2, it seems that gas transit via Yamal will be continued. Most likely Yamal will be used in the same or very similar extent as it has been up to date,” Naimski also said.
Gazprom’s spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Reuters last week that gas would still transit through Poland, but did not go into details about whether transit fees might rise.
Nord Stream 2 is meant to carry 55 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea when it is completed in 2019, doubling the capacity of the existing Nord Stream pipeline.
Germany has recently begun linking Nord Stream 2 with continued Ukrainian gas transit.
“After Nord Stream 2 is finished, the role of Ukraine as a transit state will have to remain because it is a strategic point for us and Germany is prepared to participate in that process,” Merkel said. Putin also addressed U.S. opposition to the pipeline project, saying it is a way for President Donald Trump “to promote the interests of U.S. producers, trying to push for the sale of U.S. shale gas.” However he said that American liquefied natural gas is 30 percent more expensive than Russian pipeline gas… LINK
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southfront--2020-06-08--Extremist Groups, Mass Violence And Social Breakdown: Where Do The Real Threats Lie?

As noted in an earlier South Front report ( “ Widespread protests and violence continue in the US ” ) , much of the early press coverage of developments related to the widespread protests , violence and rioting following the murder of George Floyd as he was being detained by police was taken up by US President Donald Trump ’ s allegations that ‘ Antifa ’ and the ‘ radical left ’ was responsible for most of the violence , property damage and looting that occurred .
Most of the rest of the coverage was devoted to the minutiae of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mob violence – usually portrayed either as violence without apparent motive or reason , or provoked by Antifa members and other ‘ left-wing extremists ’ who took advantage of the mass protests and demonstrations to further their own aims of generating conditions of wanton chaos and destruction as a precursor to full-scale social breakdown and/ or revolution .
There are however other sources claiming that demonstrations are being infiltrated by provocateurs , identifying the main culprits as ‘ right-wing extremists ’ , ‘ white supremacists ’ and/ or companies that are regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and police personnel in some instances .
And just a couple of weeks ago , Trump was accusing ‘ the social media companies ’ of other forms of subversive and anti-democratic activities as he issued an Executive Decree purporting to regulate their censorship and blocking of certain types and categories of speech , dialogue and debate .
This raises the immediate question , when access to reliable information is so crucial , and social media platforms have become a primary source of information for so many people , could their usurpation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be considered ‘ anti-democratic ’ , maybe even subversive in some cases ?
Meanwhile , the deeper structural causes and factors involved , such as the creeping militarization of the police , embedded discrimination and racism in political , economic and social structures , and underlying conditions of extreme poverty and inequality , were often either omitted from the dominant narratives , marginalized , or covered in a limited and superficial manner .
While addressing the structural causes in a comprehensive and rational framework of analysis and debate is imperative if the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an immediate imperative is the initiation of detailed investigations and evidence-based analysis to determine to what extent the violence , destruction and looting in each instance has been due to spontaneous outbursts of mass anger and mob rage ; calculated actions , provocation and manipulation by organized groups of whatever persuasion ; and/ or brutal measures or counter-measures employed by police , private security forces or the national guard .
The accusations begin , usually without a shred of evidence But others have blamed right-wing extremists and other groups of infiltrators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to incite widespread violence and manipulate or discredit the mass demonstrations and protests .
A report by Veterans Today states : It could be some time before the full details and dynamics behind the developments are known , and it is quite likely that they will be lost in the barrage of competing claims and narratives .
The Attorney-General of Minnesota referred to this in remarks to the press , and the grave dangers involved in making allegations before investigations have been conducted : As a starting point , there are the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ right-wing ’ extremist groups alleged to be taking advantage of the protests and disturbances to further their own agendas , utilizing and seeking to augment mass violence and social breakdown to push for social revolution or civil war against their opponents .
( As yet , there are no suggestions that religious extremists are involved in a major way . )
Beyond this , there are other more powerful but less visible groups who may in turn be seeking to manipulate some or all of these groups , and/ or manipulate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media , false news , etc .
To what extent is there evidence proving or suggesting that one or more of these groups is involved in systematic infiltration of demonstrations and involvement in acts calculated to set off mass violence and rioting ?
In many cases it is quite likely that events are the result of ‘ pure ’ mob rage and frustration , opportunist looting and sacking , or a reaction to police/ national guard/ private military or security contractor brutality and oppression .
Many commentaries take evidence of a certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and extrapolate from there to argue that this is proof that the group involved is behind all such acts of infiltration and provocation throughout the US .
Maybe they are right , but it should not be assumed that this is the case .
Moreover , for each instance of proven infiltration and incitement to violence , there are often many other instances where other members of the same group are demonstrating and protesting in a non-violent , responsible and disciplined manner .
At another level is how developments in the streets is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media .
If it can be demonstrated that they are censoring and manipulating information to promote a certain perspective or agenda and perpetuate a state of confusion , fear and misinformation , is this less ‘ anti-democratic ’ and criminal than inciting violence from a street corner ?
Several years ago , Foreign Policy published a series of detailed reports on extremist groups active in the US : Amid a rancorous debate over whether the Trump administration has downplayed the threat posed by white supremacist groups , the FBI ’ s counterterrorism division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a growing threat of premeditated violence against law enforcement .
“ The FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist ( BIE ) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated , retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence , ” reads the report , marked for official use only and obtained by Foreign Policy .
The August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri , was the catalyst for widespread anger and violence , the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged ” police abuses have fueled more violence .
“ The FBI assesses it is very likely incidents of alleged police abuse against African Americans since then have continued to feed the resurgence in ideologically motivated , violent criminal activity within the BIE movement , ” the report states .
Some 748 people have been shot and killed by police so far in 2017 , including at least 168 African-Americans .
The report , dated Aug. 3 — just nine days before the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly — appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black identity extremists ” as a movement .
But former government officials and legal experts said no such movement exists , and some expressed concern that the term is part of a politically motivated effort to find an equivalent threat to white supremacists… The concept of “ black identity extremists ” appears to be entirely new .
FP found only five references to the term in a Google search ; all were to law enforcement documents about domestic terrorism from the last two months .
One of those online references is to law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and criminally subversive subcultures which are encountered by law enforcement professionals on a daily basis.
” Among the six acts of premeditated violence linked to black identity extremists — it excludes violence toward police carried out in the normal course of their duties — the reports cites the July 2016 shooting of 11 police officers in Dallas .
The shooter , Micah Johnson , was reportedly angry at police violence .
“ Based on Johnson ’ s journal writings and statements to police , he appeared to have been influenced by BIE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The attack took place during a Black Lives Matter protest of police shootings , though the BLM movement is not mentioned by name in the report .
Yet those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement have voiced concerns about FBI surveillance .
DeRay McKesson , an activist involved in the Black Lives Matter movement , told FP that the FBI visited his house in the run-up to the Republican National Convention .
“ I spoke about the FBI visit to my house and the houses of other activists in our final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ There is a long tradition of the FBI targeting black activists and this is not surprising , ” McKesson said .
The FBI declined to comment on the report itself and did not respond to specific questions , but in an emailed statement to FP , the bureau defended its tracking of “ black identity extremists , ” saying that “ the FBI can not initiate an investigation based solely on an individual ’ s race , ethnicity , national origin , religion , or the exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts and former government officials said the FBI seemed to be trying to paint disparate groups and individuals as sharing a radical , defined ideology .
And in the phrase “ black identity extremist ” they hear echoes of the FBI ’ s decades-long targeting of black activists as potential radicals , a legacy that only recently began to change .
“ They are grouping together Black Panthers , black nationalists , and Washitaw Nation , ” said the former homeland security official .
“ Imagine lumping together white nationals , white supremacists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ‘ white identity extremists.
’ ” The FBI is linking the people discussed in the report based only on them being black , rather than on any sort of larger ideological connection , the official said… In 2009 , Daryl Johnson , then a Department of Homeland Security intelligence analyst , warned of the rise of right-wing extremism , setting off a firestorm among congressional critics .
Johnson , who left the department in 2010 , said while there have been concerns about rising violence among black separatist groups in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not approach the threat of right-wing extremism .
“ When talking about white supremacists versus black supremacists , there are way more white supremacists , ” Johnson said… The FBI also appeared to be focusing more attention on the threat of white supremacists .
In May , the FBI warned that white supremacist violence was growing , according to a report obtained and published by FP .
That same report noted that white supremacists were responsible for more attacks in the United States than any other extremist group , including Islamic extremists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump of shifting attention away from right-wing violence .
This year , the Trump administration decided to focus the Department of Homeland Security ’ s “ countering violent extremism ” program on Islamic terrorism and deprioritized funding to counter white supremacist groups… The FBI says there are “ nine persistent extremist movements ” in the United States at present .
Those include “ white supremacy , black identities , militia , sovereign citizens , anarchists , abortion , animal rights , environmental rights , and Puerto Rican Nationalism.
” LINK While the evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in any rigorous assessment of what is happening and who is involved , some argue that it is also important to not accept their reports a face value without further investigation and verification , as demonstrated by the revelations concerning the COINTELPRO program .
( VIDEO : COINTELPRO The FBI ’ s War on Black America 1990 ) A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies provides another perspective on the emergence and expansion of some of these groups : The Rise of Far-Right Extremism in the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group Trump wants to declare a ‘ terrorist organization ’ ?
The American anti-fascist movement , known as Antifa , is a combative radical movement that , after Trump ’ s arrival in the White House , has become increasingly active against the protests of white supremacists .
Antifa activists are often identified by Trump and his supporters as ‘ alt-left ’ , as opposed to the ‘ alt-right ’ groups that support the ruler and include white supremacist groups .
The group made headlines in June 2019 when its members clashed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proud Boys ’ in Portland .
Those violent riots left several wounded on both sides , including a journalist for a conservative newspaper .
In the United States the creation of the movement has been traced to the late 1980s , linked to the ARA ( Anti-Racist Action ) group , forerunners of anti-fascist movements in this country that confronted US supremacist and neo-Nazi groups .
It is inspired by the anti-fascist movements that emerged in Europe from the 1920s in response to the rise of fascism , especially in Italy .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the colours red and black and the motto Antifascist Action .
Ideologically they are generally considered as being located on the most radical left and define themselves as anti-capitalist .
It is not a unified organization but a movement without hierarchical structure that is made up of various organized groups and individuals , especially in recent years , through social networks .
Its members are generally youths , who dress completely in black and wear masks or scarves to cover their faces and avoid being identified .
In the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2016 with the arrival of Donald Trump to the presidency and in response to the rise of supremacist movements linked to the Tea Party and the extreme right that support the president .
In recent years they have been present in the demonstrations against racism and police brutality .
Although Antifa does not have a formal organizational structure , groups identifying themselves with the movement have had a presence in several European countries ( in Madrid , Barcelona , the Basque Country , Paris , Berlin , Stockholm , among other cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States in recent years .
More recently , Antifa flags and banners have also been seen in some Latin American countries .
The causes for which Antifa fights are varied within a mosaic of the revolutionary left , with many members supporting oppressed populations and protesting against the accumulation of wealth among the elites .
Antifa members have been present at different events promoted by what they see ( or declare ) as ‘ right-wing groups ’ for years .
In August 2017 , they appeared in Charlottesville , Virginia , to condemn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a statue of General Robert E. Lee .
In the early stages of the most recent protests , the FBI ’ s Washington Field Office indicated that it had “ no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence ” in the violence that occurred on May 31 during the D.C.-area protests over the murder of George Floyd , according to an internal FBI situation report obtained by .
Regardless of the abovementioned conclusion , the participation of Antifa in the ongoing wave of protests across the US is an open secret .
According to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of one of the more recently created right-wing extremist groups have been arrested at protests after attempting to instigate or escalate mass violence : Another report from the same source states that : To the above extremist groups must be added the ‘ extremists ’ among the police who have been filmed exercising excessive and unnecessary violence : LINK Moreover , the violence and looting that has occurred in many cities is miniscule compared to the violence and looting perpetrated by the political and economic elite in their never ending ‘ wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forced distribution of wealth from the poor and middle classes to the most wealthy and powerful .
Another possible factor that must be take into account is the ‘ secret societies ’ and other groups that include many of the political and economic elite among their members , as well as recruiting from and infiltrating the military , intelligence and police leadership and rank-and-file members .
A preliminary list would include the Freemasons , Opus Dei , the Jesuits , the Pilgrim Society , the Knights of Malta , the Council of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nai Brith , among others .
Veterans Today has published numerous reports claiming that religious extremist Dominican sects have infiltrated key sectors of the military , for example .
To the extent that such membership of such groups can be ascertained , is there evidence that they are pushing specific actions and policies in the midst of the mayhem and confusion , and if so what are there apparent objectives ?
Perhaps a proper investigation of 9/11 would provide some clues ?
See , for example , this analysis by Veterans Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the documentary by Giulietto Chiesa : Zero : An investigation into 9/11 A couple of weeks ago US President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting social media companies , days after Twitter called two of his tweets “ potentially misleading.
” Speaking from the Oval Office ahead of signing the order , Trump said the move was to “ defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history.
” As CNN subsequently reported , the order marks a dramatic escalation by Trump in his war with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ growing problem of misinformation ’ on social media .
The President has regularly accused sites of censoring conservative speech .
So , who are some of these social media companies and tech companies exactly that control and manage such a large proportion of the world ’ s most-used social media platforms ?
Google , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram are singled out for mention .
While the largest individual shareholders and senior executives receive almost all the attention ( as with many of the other companies mentioned here ) , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vanguard Group ( 10.6 % ) , Blackrock ( 7 % ) , Morgan Stanley ( 6.1 % ) and State Street Corporation ( 4.5 % ) , between them around 28 % ( directly – this is probably a considerable under-estimate , as it doesn ’ t include smaller shareholdings of other subsidiaries or controlled entities ) .
They are also among the largest mutual fund holders through a range of investment vehicles .
Vanguard , Blackrock and State Street are also among the 5 largest shareholders of Morgan Stanley .
Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 .
It acquired Instagram in 2012 , and has purchased a variety of other technology and data collection companies with capabilities with many diverse capabilities such as face recognition technology .
The largest institutional investors of Facebook are Vanguard ( 7.4 % ) , Capital R & M ( 6.9 % ) , Fidelity M & R ( 5 % ) , State Street ( 4 % ) and Blackrock ( 2.4 % ) – between them around 28.7 % .
The largest institutional investors of Google are Vanguard ( 7.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 5 % ) , Fidelity M & R ( 4 % ) , State Street ( 3.9 % ) and Blackrock ( 2.4 % ) – between them around 22.8 % .
And who owns CNN , for that matter , one of the bastions of the fourth estate and the ‘ free press ’ ?
Apparently , through one or two degrees of separation AT & T is the parent company ( via Time Warner ) .
So who are the largest shareholders of AT & T ?
Vanguard ( 7.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 4.8 % ) , State Street ( 4 % ) and Blackrock is 6th with ( 2.4 % ) – between them around 19 % .
How about ‘ Silicon Valley ’ ?
Just to take two examples , the four largest shareholders of Microsoft are Vanguard ( 7 % ) , Blackrock ( 4 % ) , State Street ( 4 % ) and Capital R & M ( 4 % ) : the four largest shareholders of Apple are Vanguard ( 7 % ) , Berkshire Hathway ( 5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and State Street ( 4 % ) – in both cases , for a total of 19 % between them .
The same financial/ investment fund monsters have large stakes if not between them a controlling interest in many of the most influential mass media companies , weapons producers , among many , many other key economic , industrial and technology sectors .
A more detailed of the multi-layered , interlocked financial pyramid of ownership and control is available here .
The new executive order raises the need to reconsider the regulation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , uncertainty and confusion increase , the matter takes on added significance and urgency .
Beyond this is the challenge of seeking to ensure diversity , freedom of choice and real alternatives among social media platforms , as well as deciding who should have the power to censor or control their use , and according to what principles and objectives .
What happened to freedom of speech , freedom of association , freedom of the press , etc.
?
But at the same time , how can deliberate misinformation and manipulation of information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is not something that should be left up to the social media companies .
A federal agency subject to government control would not be much better .
Going a step further , how have such a small number of relatively recently established investment funds and financial conglomerates managed to obtain control over such a staggering share of most of the major companies involved , as well as just about everything else ?
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As noted in an earlier South Front report (“Widespread protests and violence continue in the US”), much of the early press coverage of developments related to the widespread protests, violence and rioting following the murder of George Floyd as he was being detained by police was taken up by US President Donald Trump’s allegations that ‘Antifa’ and the ‘radical left’ was responsible for most of the violence, property damage and looting that occurred.
Most of the rest of the coverage was devoted to the minutiae of the violent events and instances of looting, mob violence – usually portrayed either as violence without apparent motive or reason, or provoked by Antifa members and other ‘left-wing extremists’ who took advantage of the mass protests and demonstrations to further their own aims of generating conditions of wanton chaos and destruction as a precursor to full-scale social breakdown and/ or revolution.
I built the greatest economy in the World, the best the U.S. has ever had. I am doing it again! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020
There are however other sources claiming that demonstrations are being infiltrated by provocateurs, identifying the main culprits as ‘right-wing extremists’, ‘white supremacists’ and/ or companies that are regular contractors with the Pentagon, and even military and police personnel in some instances.
And just a couple of weeks ago, Trump was accusing ‘the social media companies’ of other forms of subversive and anti-democratic activities as he issued an Executive Decree purporting to regulate their censorship and blocking of certain types and categories of speech, dialogue and debate. This raises the immediate question, when access to reliable information is so crucial, and social media platforms have become a primary source of information for so many people, could their usurpation of the right to censor peoples’ communications be considered ‘anti-democratic’, maybe even subversive in some cases?
Meanwhile, the deeper structural causes and factors involved, such as the creeping militarization of the police, embedded discrimination and racism in political, economic and social structures, and underlying conditions of extreme poverty and inequality, were often either omitted from the dominant narratives, marginalized, or covered in a limited and superficial manner.
While addressing the structural causes in a comprehensive and rational framework of analysis and debate is imperative if the situation is to improve in the long term, an immediate imperative is the initiation of detailed investigations and evidence-based analysis to determine to what extent the violence, destruction and looting in each instance has been due to spontaneous outbursts of mass anger and mob rage; calculated actions, provocation and manipulation by organized groups of whatever persuasion; and/ or brutal measures or counter-measures employed by police, private security forces or the national guard.
The accusations begin, usually without a shred of evidence
US President Donald Trump announced last Sunday (31 May) that a ‘left-wing group’ he thinks is leading the violence at anti-police brutality protests will be officially labelled as terrorists: “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.””The violence and vandalism is being led by Antifa and other radical left-wing groups who are terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings,” Trump said during remarks at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida the day before.Attorney General William Barr then remarked:”With the rioting that is occurring in many of our cities around the country, the voices of peaceful and legitimate protests have been hijacked by violent radical elements. Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate, violent, and extremist agenda,” Barr said.Barr said that in order to “coordinate federal resources with our state and local partners,” he would use the “existing network of 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces.””The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” Barr said.The American Civil Liberties Union said Trump did not have the power to label domestic terror groups. “Terrorism is an inherently political label, easily abused and misused,” the organization commented.Trump’s national security Robert O’Brien told CNN that the administration planned to “get to the bottom” of Antifa’s role in the protests. And he said the president and Barr want to know what the FBI is doing to “to track and dismantle and surveil and prosecute Antifa.” – From USA Today
But others have blamed right-wing extremists and other groups of infiltrators and provocateurs as the main culprits, seeking to incite widespread violence and manipulate or discredit the mass demonstrations and protests. A report by Veterans Today states:
“VT has carefully examined video in Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis and has found members of organizations, Pentagon contracting firms, present at each protest, handing fire bombs, throwing large rocks, and leading the violence. We have confirmation from our personnel in Minneapolis, who have their own sources in the police and local FBI. Working with these contracting firms is a sub-group within the departments, “intelligence” and “counter-terrorism” units, who do surveillance and who were, in every department we looked at, both trained in Israel and overseen on a daily basis by “handlers” either from an Israeli consulate or from the ADL/JDL/JINSA or similar group representing Shin Bet…” LINK
It could be some time before the full details and dynamics behind the developments are known, and it is quite likely that they will be lost in the barrage of competing claims and narratives. The Attorney-General of Minnesota referred to this in remarks to the press, and the grave dangers involved in making allegations before investigations have been conducted:
“The truth is nobody really knows,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “What the exact political motivation is is unclear at this point. We need to investigate it,” Ellison said. He faulted Barr and Trump for focusing on Antifa, rather than addressing the “systemic police abuses in America.” “So I think the federal government does have a role, but it needs to be constructing a better relationship between cities and the police departments that serve them. And making incendiary comments about who’s to blame here as opposed to actually investigating it isn’t helpful.”
As a starting point, there are the most visible or high-profile ‘left-wing’ and ‘right-wing’ extremist groups alleged to be taking advantage of the protests and disturbances to further their own agendas, utilizing and seeking to augment mass violence and social breakdown to push for social revolution or civil war against their opponents. (As yet, there are no suggestions that religious extremists are involved in a major way.)
In Atlanta, armed Black Panthers showed up and formed a line to lead and protect the Black Lives Matter protests.

(photos by @1TraeWay of @WINspiredMedia) pic.twitter.com/qPrLaxNyDK — redfish (@redfishstream) June 5, 2020
Video of armed Black Panthers joining and protecting the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/ML8oZgdsXW — redfish (@redfishstream) June 5, 2020
Beyond this, there are other more powerful but less visible groups who may in turn be seeking to manipulate some or all of these groups, and/ or manipulate the actions of mass protests through infiltration, social media, false news, etc.
To what extent is there evidence proving or suggesting that one or more of these groups is involved in systematic infiltration of demonstrations and involvement in acts calculated to set off mass violence and rioting? In many cases it is quite likely that events are the result of ‘pure’ mob rage and frustration, opportunist looting and sacking, or a reaction to police/ national guard/ private military or security contractor brutality and oppression.
It is important not to over-simplify or generalize from individual cases and events – while there may be nation-wide trends and common factors, as well as evidence of infiltration by members of specific groups in certain moments and locations, there are also a lot of other factors and local variants involved. It is of course also possible that in some cases organizers of protests are encouraging violence and/ or looting to up the stakes, drama, tension and press coverage.
Many commentaries take evidence of a certain group’s infiltration of specific protests and extrapolate from there to argue that this is proof that the group involved is behind all such acts of infiltration and provocation throughout the US. Maybe they are right, but it should not be assumed that this is the case.
Moreover, for each instance of proven infiltration and incitement to violence, there are often many other instances where other members of the same group are demonstrating and protesting in a non-violent, responsible and disciplined manner.
At another level is how developments in the streets is portrayed and explained by politicians and the media. If it can be demonstrated that they are censoring and manipulating information to promote a certain perspective or agenda and perpetuate a state of confusion, fear and misinformation, is this less ‘anti-democratic’ and criminal than inciting violence from a street corner?
Investigations of extremist groups
Several years ago, Foreign Policy published a series of detailed reports on extremist groups active in the US:
Amid a rancorous debate over whether the Trump administration has downplayed the threat posed by white supremacist groups, the FBI’s counterterrorism division has declared that black identity extremists pose a growing threat of premeditated violence against law enforcement. “The FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence,” reads the report, marked for official use only and obtained by Foreign Policy. The August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, was the catalyst for widespread anger and violence, the FBI report says, concluding that continued “alleged” police abuses have fueled more violence. “The FBI assesses it is very likely incidents of alleged police abuse against African Americans since then have continued to feed the resurgence in ideologically motivated, violent criminal activity within the BIE movement,” the report states. Some 748 people have been shot and killed by police so far in 2017, including at least 168 African-Americans. The report, dated Aug. 3 — just nine days before the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly — appears to be the first known reference to “black identity extremists” as a movement. But former government officials and legal experts said no such movement exists, and some expressed concern that the term is part of a politically motivated effort to find an equivalent threat to white supremacists… The concept of “black identity extremists” appears to be entirely new. FP found only five references to the term in a Google search; all were to law enforcement documents about domestic terrorism from the last two months. One of those online references is to law enforcement training on identifying “domestic terror groups and criminally subversive subcultures which are encountered by law enforcement professionals on a daily basis.” Among the six acts of premeditated violence linked to black identity extremists — it excludes violence toward police carried out in the normal course of their duties — the reports cites the July 2016 shooting of 11 police officers in Dallas. The shooter, Micah Johnson, was reportedly angry at police violence. “Based on Johnson’s journal writings and statements to police, he appeared to have been influenced by BIE ideology,” the FBI report states. The attack took place during a Black Lives Matter protest of police shootings, though the BLM movement is not mentioned by name in the report. Yet those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement have voiced concerns about FBI surveillance. DeRay McKesson, an activist involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, told FP that the FBI visited his house in the run-up to the Republican National Convention. “I spoke about the FBI visit to my house and the houses of other activists in our final meeting with [President Barack] Obama,” he said. “There is a long tradition of the FBI targeting black activists and this is not surprising,” McKesson said. The FBI declined to comment on the report itself and did not respond to specific questions, but in an emailed statement to FP, the bureau defended its tracking of “black identity extremists,” saying that “the FBI cannot initiate an investigation based solely on an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or the exercise of First Amendment rights.” … Some experts and former government officials said the FBI seemed to be trying to paint disparate groups and individuals as sharing a radical, defined ideology. And in the phrase “black identity extremist” they hear echoes of the FBI’s decades-long targeting of black activists as potential radicals, a legacy that only recently began to change. “They are grouping together Black Panthers, black nationalists, and Washitaw Nation,” said the former homeland security official. “Imagine lumping together white nationals, white supremacists, militias, neo-Nazis, and calling it ‘white identity extremists.’” The FBI is linking the people discussed in the report based only on them being black, rather than on any sort of larger ideological connection, the official said… In 2009, Daryl Johnson, then a Department of Homeland Security intelligence analyst, warned of the rise of right-wing extremism, setting off a firestorm among congressional critics. Johnson, who left the department in 2010, said while there have been concerns about rising violence among black separatist groups in recent years, he said, but it does not approach the threat of right-wing extremism. “When talking about white supremacists versus black supremacists, there are way more white supremacists,” Johnson said… The FBI also appeared to be focusing more attention on the threat of white supremacists. In May, the FBI warned that white supremacist violence was growing, according to a report obtained and published by FP. That same report noted that white supremacists were responsible for more attacks in the United States than any other extremist group, including Islamic extremists. Critics, however, accuse President Donald Trump of shifting attention away from right-wing violence. This year, the Trump administration decided to focus the Department of Homeland Security’s “countering violent extremism” program on Islamic terrorism and deprioritized funding to counter white supremacist groups… The FBI says there are “nine persistent extremist movements” in the United States at present. Those include “white supremacy, black identities, militia, sovereign citizens, anarchists, abortion, animal rights, environmental rights, and Puerto Rican Nationalism.” LINK
While the evidence and analysis of the FBI must be included in any rigorous assessment of what is happening and who is involved, some argue that it is also important to not accept their reports a face value without further investigation and verification, as demonstrated by the revelations concerning the COINTELPRO program. (VIDEO: COINTELPRO The FBI’s War on Black America 1990)
A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies provides another perspective on the emergence and expansion of some of these groups: The Rise of Far-Right Extremism in the United States.
Who or what is Antifa, the group Trump wants to declare a ‘terrorist organization’?
The American anti-fascist movement, known as Antifa, is a combative radical movement that, after Trump’s arrival in the White House, has become increasingly active against the protests of white supremacists.
Antifa activists are often identified by Trump and his supporters as ‘alt-left’, as opposed to the ‘alt-right’ groups that support the ruler and include white supremacist groups.
The group made headlines in June 2019 when its members clashed with those of a far-right group called ‘Proud Boys’ in Portland. Those violent riots left several wounded on both sides, including a journalist for a conservative newspaper.
In the United States the creation of the movement has been traced to the late 1980s, linked to the ARA (Anti-Racist Action) group, forerunners of anti-fascist movements in this country that confronted US supremacist and neo-Nazi groups.
It is inspired by the anti-fascist movements that emerged in Europe from the 1920s in response to the rise of fascism, especially in Italy. In fact, it uses the same flag, with the colours red and black and the motto Antifascist Action. Ideologically they are generally considered as being located on the most radical left and define themselves as anti-capitalist.
It is not a unified organization but a movement without hierarchical structure that is made up of various organized groups and individuals, especially in recent years, through social networks. Its members are generally youths, who dress completely in black and wear masks or scarves to cover their faces and avoid being identified.
In the United States, it has regained vigour, especially since 2016 with the arrival of Donald Trump to the presidency and in response to the rise of supremacist movements linked to the Tea Party and the extreme right that support the president. In recent years they have been present in the demonstrations against racism and police brutality.
Although Antifa does not have a formal organizational structure, groups identifying themselves with the movement have had a presence in several European countries (in Madrid, Barcelona, the Basque Country, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, among other cities) and have focused on the United States in recent years. More recently, Antifa flags and banners have also been seen in some Latin American countries.
The causes for which Antifa fights are varied within a mosaic of the revolutionary left, with many members supporting oppressed populations and protesting against the accumulation of wealth among the elites.
Antifa members have been present at different events promoted by what they see (or declare) as ‘right-wing groups’ for years. In August 2017, they appeared in Charlottesville, Virginia, to condemn racism and counter protests against the removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee.
In the early stages of the most recent protests, the FBI’s Washington Field Office indicated that it had “no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence” in the violence that occurred on May 31 during the D.C.-area protests over the murder of George Floyd, according to an internal FBI situation report obtained by The Nation.
“The FBI report, however, states that “based on CHS [Confidential Human Source] canvassing, open source/social media partner engagement, and liaison, FBI WFO has no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence.” The statement followed a list of violent acts like throwing bricks at police and the discovery of a backpack containing explosive materials, which were flagged by the FBI under a “Key Updates” section of the report. The FBI has been issuing such reports daily since the weekend, according to a Bureau source, who added that none of these documents contained any evidence of antifa violence. Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is a type of militant anti-racist, anti-nationalist organizing that does not rely on the justice system to confront the far right. Groups associated with antifa have destroyed property and committed violence in the past, but the fact that the FBI’s situation reports cannot find any evidence of such involvement now suggests that fears about such groups may be exaggerated. The report did warn that individuals from a far-right social media group had “called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters.” (The Nation is withholding the name of the group in order to not disrupt any potential law enforcement investigations.) Last year, FBI documents obtained by this reporter showed that the Bureau has listed “Racially Motivated Violent Extremists” among its top counterterrorism priorities. While those priorities did include white supremacist groups, they also included what the FBI called “Black Identity Extremists.” The documents reveal that the Bureau linked “retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement” to the “shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri,” from which the Black Lives Matter movement originated…” LINK
Regardless of the abovementioned conclusion, the participation of Antifa in the ongoing wave of protests across the US is an open secret.
Right wing extremist groups
According to a report posted by VICE news, several members of one of the more recently created right-wing extremist groups have been arrested at protests after attempting to instigate or escalate mass violence:
The Boogaloo Bois are bringing Hawaiian shirts, AR-15s — and now, apparently, explosives — to anti-racism protests across the country. Three of these new right-wing anti-government extremists were arrested by federal authorities in Las Vegas on Thursday, accused of trying to spark violence at the protests there for their own gain. Now this congressman wants to know what, exactly, the Department of Homeland Security is doing about it. Rep. Max Rose, Democrat from New York, sent a letter to DHS asking that they conduct a specific threat assessment of the Boogaloo movement “and any potential violent threats that they may pose in order to ensure that state and local partners are informed and aware.” …Federal investigators in Nevada started looking into Stephen Parshall, 35, Andrew Lynam Jr., 23, and William Loomis, 40, after they received a tip in early April. Their tipster later became their informant, and went to meet Parshall and Lynam at a ReOpen Nevada rally around that time. They were heavily armed, and the informant recalled that they bragged about their group and how their ultimate goal was to overthrow the U.S. government. On a separate occasion, during a hike, they talked about their plans in a little more detail: they wanted to target power plants or ranger stations, according to the complaint. They continued to show up to future ReOpen Nevada rallies, heavily armed. Around mid-May, they came up with a plan modeled on tactics used by the Irish Republican Army , federal prosecutors say. They would set off fireworks, or other explosives, at the next ReOpen protest on May 16, in order to create a confusing and chaotic scene, and bait law enforcement and other attendees into opening fire…” LINK
Another report from the same source states that:
“perhaps the most troubling of all are the hardcore “accelerationists” who are encouraging their neo-Nazi followers to go to the protests and carry out acts of violence against black people — all with the goal of “exacerbating the ethnic tensions” and sparking a “race war.” Accelerationists promote violence to speed up the collapse of society. An eco-fascist Telegram channel wrote to its nearly 2,500 subscribers on Thursday that “a riot would be the perfect place to commit a murder.” Accelerationists often seek to exploit moments of political or civil unrest, and the widespread protests that have unfolded across the country fit the bill. Similarly, 4chan is full of racists cheering the violence and saying that they hope it’s the beginning of a “race war.” … While more established militia types sometimes share those perspectives, they often view themselves as intermediaries between law enforcement and civilians. For example, two armed white men were interviewed by the Minnesota Reformer, a local independent news organization, outside a tobacco store in Minneapolis this week. They said they were protecting businesses from looters, but were also there to defend civilians should they need to. “Cops are less likely to tread on people’s rights when there’s other armed people around them,” one of the men told the interviewer… Local activists identified another group in Minneapolis as members of the III% militia, one of the largest militia networks in the U.S… LINK
To the above extremist groups must be added the ‘extremists’ among the police who have been filmed exercising excessive and unnecessary violence: LINK
Moreover, the violence and looting that has occurred in many cities is miniscule compared to the violence and looting perpetrated by the political and economic elite in their never ending ‘wars of choice’, regime change operations and forced distribution of wealth from the poor and middle classes to the most wealthy and powerful.
Another possible factor that must be take into account is the ‘secret societies’ and other groups that include many of the political and economic elite among their members, as well as recruiting from and infiltrating the military, intelligence and police leadership and rank-and-file members. A preliminary list would include the Freemasons, Opus Dei, the Jesuits, the Pilgrim Society, the Knights of Malta, the Council of Foreign Relations, AIPAC and B’Nai Brith, among others. Veterans Today has published numerous reports claiming that religious extremist Dominican sects have infiltrated key sectors of the military, for example. To the extent that such membership of such groups can be ascertained, is there evidence that they are pushing specific actions and policies in the midst of the mayhem and confusion, and if so what are there apparent objectives?
Perhaps a proper investigation of 9/11 would provide some clues? See, for example, this analysis by Veterans Today, and another by Kevin Ryan. Or the documentary by Giulietto Chiesa: Zero: An investigation into 9/11
Social media platforms
A couple of weeks ago US President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting social media companies, days after Twitter called two of his tweets “potentially misleading.”
Speaking from the Oval Office ahead of signing the order, Trump said the move was to “defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history.”
“A small handful of social media monopolies controls a vast portion of all public and private communications in the United States,” he claimed. “They’ve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter, virtually any form of communication between private citizens and large public audiences.”
As CNN subsequently reported, the order marks a dramatic escalation by Trump in his war with tech companies as they struggle with the ‘growing problem of misinformation’ on social media. The President has regularly accused sites of censoring conservative speech.
“Trump and conservatives have long complained that tech platforms algorithmically censor right-wing voices. The claims derive from a perception that Silicon Valley’s largely left-leaning workforce has designed social media products to discriminate against conservatives, though the companies strongly deny the allegations. Last year, the White House set up a website to solicit complaints from the public about tech companies’ perceived political bias, and Trump has called for an examination of NBC’s television license. “The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google.”
So, who are some of these social media companies and tech companies exactly that control and manage such a large proportion of the world’s most-used social media platforms? Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are singled out for mention.
While the largest individual shareholders and senior executives receive almost all the attention (as with many of the other companies mentioned here), the largest institutional investors of Twitter, Inc. are Vanguard Group (10.6%), Blackrock (7%), Morgan Stanley (6.1%) and State Street Corporation (4.5%), between them around 28% (directly – this is probably a considerable under-estimate, as it doesn’t include smaller shareholdings of other subsidiaries or controlled entities). They are also among the largest mutual fund holders through a range of investment vehicles. Vanguard, Blackrock and State Street are also among the 5 largest shareholders of Morgan Stanley.
Facebook acquired the WhatsApp messaging and calling platform in 2014. It acquired Instagram in 2012, and has purchased a variety of other technology and data collection companies with capabilities with many diverse capabilities such as face recognition technology. The largest institutional investors of Facebook are Vanguard (7.4%), Capital R&M (6.9%), Fidelity M&R (5%), State Street (4%) and Blackrock (2.4%) – between them around 28.7%.
The largest institutional investors of Google are Vanguard (7.4%), Capital R&M (5%), Fidelity M&R (4%), State Street (3.9%) and Blackrock (2.4%) – between them around 22.8%.
And who owns CNN, for that matter, one of the bastions of the fourth estate and the ‘free press’? Apparently, through one or two degrees of separation AT&T is the parent company (via Time Warner). So who are the largest shareholders of AT&T? Vanguard (7.8%), Capital R&M (4.8%), State Street (4%) and Blackrock is 6th with (2.4%) – between them around 19%.
How about ‘Silicon Valley’? Just to take two examples, the four largest shareholders of Microsoft are Vanguard (7%), Blackrock (4%), State Street (4%) and Capital R&M (4%): the four largest shareholders of Apple are Vanguard (7%), Berkshire Hathway (5%), Blackrock (3%) and State Street (4%) – in both cases, for a total of 19% between them.
The same financial/ investment fund monsters have large stakes if not between them a controlling interest in many of the most influential mass media companies, weapons producers, among many, many other key economic, industrial and technology sectors. A more detailed of the multi-layered, interlocked financial pyramid of ownership and control is available here.
The new executive order raises the need to reconsider the regulation of social media platforms. As the fear, uncertainty and confusion increase, the matter takes on added significance and urgency.
Beyond this is the challenge of seeking to ensure diversity, freedom of choice and real alternatives among social media platforms, as well as deciding who should have the power to censor or control their use, and according to what principles and objectives. What happened to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, etc.? But at the same time, how can deliberate misinformation and manipulation of information be confronted. One thing is certain, it is not something that should be left up to the social media companies. A federal agency subject to government control would not be much better.
Going a step further, how have such a small number of relatively recently established investment funds and financial conglomerates managed to obtain control over such a staggering share of most of the major companies involved, as well as just about everything else?
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southfront--2020-06-08--Border Fight Club: Chinese And Indian Troops Have Fist, Stone and Stick Fights In Border Escalation

For approximately a month , China and India have had a standoff along their disputed frontier high in the Himalayas .
Thousands of troops were deployed on both sides .
According to Indian officials , the standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh , erecting tents and posts .
They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave , triggering shouting matches , stone-throwing and fistfights .
There were numerous “ escalations ” of sorts , with Indian and Chinese soldiers organizing stone-flinging fights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also several fist fights .
Reportedly no weapons were discharged , but it is presumably just a matter of time .
In order to avoid further escalation , Chinese and Indian officials met at a border checkpoint on June 6th .
The talks were held in the border outpost of Maldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control ( LAC ) – the de facto border between the two countries , India-based NDTV channel reported .
Reportedly , the talks resulted in a positive agreement on peacefully resolving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Global Times .
“ Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations , ” India ’ s foreign ministry said in a statement .
India said the meeting took place in a “ cordial and positive atmosphere , ” China did not immediately respond .
Beijing has on multiple occasions described the border situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 3,488km-long ( 2,167 miles ) border between the two countries is disputed and non-demarcated .
Retired Indian Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda described the high-level talks as “ unprecedented ” .
No shots have reportedly been shot across the disputed border since 1975 .
Diplomats say this is part of an unofficial “ de-escalation pact ” .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Car Bomb Attack Averted In Jammu And Kashmir ’ s Pulwama By Indian Authorities

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For approximately a month, China and India have had a standoff along their disputed frontier high in the Himalayas.
Thousands of troops were deployed on both sides.
According to Indian officials, the standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh, erecting tents and posts.
They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave, triggering shouting matches, stone-throwing and fistfights.
There were numerous “escalations” of sorts, with Indian and Chinese soldiers organizing stone-flinging fights and also fighting with sticks, there were also several fist fights.
Reportedly no weapons were discharged, but it is presumably just a matter of time.
In order to avoid further escalation, Chinese and Indian officials met at a border checkpoint on June 6th. The talks were held in the border outpost of Maldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the de facto border between the two countries, India-based NDTV channel reported.
Reportedly, the talks resulted in a positive agreement on peacefully resolving the situation, Chinese experts said, according to the Global Times.
“Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
India said the meeting took place in a “cordial and positive atmosphere,” China did not immediately respond. Beijing has on multiple occasions described the border situation as “stable and controllable.”
Most of the 3,488km-long (2,167 miles) border between the two countries is disputed and non-demarcated.
Retired Indian Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda described the high-level talks as “unprecedented”.
“I have not seen Corps Commander level officers carrying out military talks,” Lt Gen DS Hooda was quoted as saying.
No shots have reportedly been shot across the disputed border since 1975. Diplomats say this is part of an unofficial “de-escalation pact”.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Military Situation In Yemen On June 8, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • Ansar Allah reported @ @ @ @ @ during the past 24 hours .
These included 152 artillery strikes and sporadic firefights ; @ @ @ @ @ and Saudi-led forces continue in the north of Sarwah .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the Kitaf area 14 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the Majzar area 3 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the Sarwah area 4 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the Hazm area 5 times;
Ansar Allah reported 82 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours. These included 152 artillery strikes and sporadic firefights;
Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces continue in the north of Sarwah.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Military Situation In Libya On June 8, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya : • The Egyptian Army @ @ @ @ @ tanks to the Libyan border ; • Turkish-led forces continue advance on Sirte .
Currently @ @ @ @ @ about 20km from the city ; • Turkish-led forces entered al-Qaryat , Wadi Misrat , @ @ @ @ @ nearby areas following the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) withdrawal from there ; • @ @ @ @ @ of Turkish-led forces near Abu Qurayn .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya:
The Egyptian Army sent massive columns with battle tanks to the Libyan border;
Turkish-led forces continue advance on Sirte. Currently, they are deployed in about 20km from the city;
Turkish-led forces entered al-Qaryat, Wadi Misrat, Mezdah, Nasmah and several nearby areas following the Libyan National Army (LNA) withdrawal from there;
The LNA struck a column of Turkish-led forces near Abu Qurayn.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Military Situation In Syria On June 8, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria : • The Syrian Army @ @ @ @ @ al-Zawiya Mount ; • A suicide bomber blew himself up near an Asayish checkpoint in @ @ @ @ @ wa-Harid al-Mu ’ minin operations room reinforced its positions on the contact line with the @ @ @ @ @ ; • The SDF announced that it had cleared 15 villages as a part of @ @ @ @ @ anti-ISIS operation in eastern Syria ; • Turkish-backed forces detained a person planting an IED @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
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southfront--2020-06-08--GNA Rejects Egypt’s Ceasefire, Likely Prompting Cairo To Join The Fray

On June 8th , the head of the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) Fayez al-Sarraj announced the rejection of the Egyptian diplomatic initiative to launch a ceasefire beginning from the day .
This is a decision very obviously pushed by Turkey , and is dictated by the recent successes of the GNA forces , heavily supported by the Turkish army and its proxies .
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi announced the plan in Cairo , alongside Khalifa Haftar , the head of the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) and Agila Saleh , the chief of Libya ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 7th on the town of Sirte failed , but a second push is coming .
In the last week leading up to it , the Turkish-backed forces have captured Tripoli International Airport , Tarhuna and Bani Walid , all of which were considered important strategic forward positions in the fight for Tripoli .
Fighting in Tripoli has stopped since the Libyan National Army ’ s forces have been pushed back .
Haftar ’ s forces are carrying out airstrikes on GNA convoys that are moving howitzers , technical and other equipment towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on GNA positions south of Misrata , near Abu Qurayn .
The rejection of the Egyptian proposition may prove a mistake , and in the very short term at that .
The Egyptian army began mobilizing a massive convoy , including Abrams battle tanks and combat helicopters along the Libyan border .
The situation is such that Egypt is in a much better position than Turkey to deploy a massive force and carry out a swift crushing blow on the Turkish-backed forces .
In a direct , full-force confrontation between Egypt and Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that situation is unlikely in the conditions and the numbers of troops Turkey has supporting the Tripoli-based government .
The situation is such that if Egypt enters the fray , the GNA and Turkey ’ s recent successes may quickly be reversed with the sheer force that Cairo is showing capable of deploying .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • In Video : Egyptian Army Sends Massive Convoys With Battle Tanks To Libyan Border As Tensions Escalate

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On June 8th, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj announced the rejection of the Egyptian diplomatic initiative to launch a ceasefire beginning from the day.
This is a decision very obviously pushed by Turkey, and is dictated by the recent successes of the GNA forces, heavily supported by the Turkish army and its proxies.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi announced the plan in Cairo, alongside Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and Agila Saleh, the chief of Libya’s allied elected parliament.
“This initiative calls for respecting all international efforts and initiatives by declaring a ceasefire from 6pm [16:00 GMT] Monday, June 8, 2020,” President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told a news conference
The push on June 7th on the town of Sirte failed, but a second push is coming.
In the last week leading up to it, the Turkish-backed forces have captured Tripoli International Airport, Tarhuna and Bani Walid, all of which were considered important strategic forward positions in the fight for Tripoli.
Fighting in Tripoli has stopped since the Libyan National Army’s forces have been pushed back.
Haftar’s forces are carrying out airstrikes on GNA convoys that are moving howitzers, technical and other equipment towards Sirte.
#ليبيا
طائراتنا تُدمر سرية مدفعية كاملة تضُم عدد ثلاث مدافع هاوزر تركي الصنع ودبابتين وستة عربات مسلحة للحماية بالإضافة لحافلة نقل كبيرة أكدت مصادر الرصد التابعة لجيشنا الوطني أنها تحمل عدد من الضباط الأتراك والمرتزقة السوريين الذين عناقت الرمال أجسادهم pic.twitter.com/Q3fj0EcODw — شعبة الإعلام الحربي (@warinformationd) June 8, 2020
#شرق_مصراته
صقور السلاح الجو العربي الليبي الآن
سلسلة غارات علي المليشيات اولاد شحيبر التركيه وسوريه وقشار بصل في العيشة.
ربي يسدد رميكم #هلها_قراضين_بصلها#ليبيا_مقبرة_العثمانيين pic.twitter.com/mfMc6LDECZ — Anis Abdaljawad #هلها_قراضين_بصلها (@AnisAbdaljawad) June 7, 2020
Numerous airstrikes were carried out on GNA positions south of Misrata, near Abu Qurayn.
The rejection of the Egyptian proposition may prove a mistake, and in the very short term at that. The Egyptian army began mobilizing a massive convoy, including Abrams battle tanks and combat helicopters along the Libyan border.
#BREAKING: #Egyptian Army is now ready for war in #Libya. This video recorded minutes ago shows 18 M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks of #Egypt Army at the border with #Libya ready to enter the country to be used against #Turkish backed #GNA's Islamist militias & #Syrian mercenaries! pic.twitter.com/nbzz0H0chC — Babak Taghvaee – Μπάπακ Τακβαίε – بابک تقوایی (B) (@BabakTaghvaee1) June 7, 2020
The situation is such that Egypt is in a much better position than Turkey to deploy a massive force and carry out a swift crushing blow on the Turkish-backed forces. In a direct, full-force confrontation between Egypt and Turkey, the outcome is unclear – but that situation is unlikely in the conditions and the numbers of troops Turkey has supporting the Tripoli-based government.
The situation is such that if Egypt enters the fray, the GNA and Turkey’s recent successes may quickly be reversed with the sheer force that Cairo is showing capable of deploying.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Mexican Cartels Are Entirely Spinning Out of Control: Photos, Videos

On June 7th , in Mexico clashes took place between Cartel Del Noreste ( CDN ) of Los Zetas and Cártel del Golfo ( the Gulf Cartel , CDG ) in the town of Comales , Camargo municipality , Tamaulipas .
The clashes involved the CDN which attacked the town with upwards of 20 armored technical vehicles , outnumbering the CDG whose members begin fleeing .
Meanwhile , cartel violence appears to be growing even further and crime gangs are roaming the streets , while the local police can do little to counter any of their activities .
All around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s numerous photographs and videos showing the aftermath of the clashes , with civilian being killed on the streets .
Attacks took place in Colonia , reportedly 4 were killed and 2 were injured .
Elsewhere , in Huimanguillo municipality , 4 police officers were executed by cartel members .
In Coacalco , 2 men and 1 woman were killed in a cartel attack .
A decapitated man was found in the Yaqui Valley , and it is a suspected cartel killing .
Meanwhile , throughout all the violence a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taking over , famous for its ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel .
In many parts of Mexico , the new cartel is fighting battles that remind of medieval sieges – with fortified redoubts , and it is moving towards Mexico City , as well as towards the tourist resorts around Cancun , and the northern border .
The Jalisco cartel attempt to purchase belt-fed M-60 machine guns in the United States , and once brought down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket-propelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda campaign , using videos and social media to threaten rivals while promising civilians that it won ’ t prey on them with extortion and kidnappings .
A typical promise , in the form of a distorted “ election campaign ” promise , which is seldom kept .
In short : the Jalisco cartel is terrifying : the cartel has made the city of Guadalajara and surrounding suburbs into a giant clandestine grave site .
Hundreds of bodies have been found in the last year , dumped in drainage canals , buried in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
Bodies have been found dissolved in acid or lye , bodies have been found in plastic bags .
So many bodies have been found in Guadalajara that authorities ran out of space at the morgue and took to moving rotting bodies around in refrigerated trucks until neighbors complained about the smell .
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown actually made it easier for cartels to spread their influence and made the clashes even worse , as competition is ramping up and they are attempting to put ever more areas under their control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexican Cartel Violence Grows As Trump Considers To Designate Them Terroirst Organizations

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On June 7th, in Mexico clashes took place between Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) of Los Zetas and Cártel del Golfo (the Gulf Cartel, CDG) in the town of Comales, Camargo municipality, Tamaulipas.
The clashes involved the CDN which attacked the town with upwards of 20 armored technical vehicles, outnumbering the CDG whose members begin fleeing.
Meanwhile, cartel violence appears to be growing even further and crime gangs are roaming the streets, while the local police can do little to counter any of their activities.
Diariamente en las carreteras del país a esto se exponen los elementos cualquier corporación policiaca. La nueva realidad de México ??. Convoys de la delincuencia paseando a plena luz del día en gran número y fuertemente armados. pic.twitter.com/1z9HLt6nzg — Blog de México Rojo (@MexicoRojo1) May 19, 2020
All around Mexico over the weekend there were clashes, there’s numerous photographs and videos showing the aftermath of the clashes, with civilian being killed on the streets.
Discretion is advised. Images and Footage Not Safe For Work.
Attacks took place in Colonia, reportedly 4 were killed and 2 were injured.
Elsewhere, in Huimanguillo municipality, 4 police officers were executed by cartel members.
In Coacalco, 2 men and 1 woman were killed in a cartel attack.
A decapitated man was found in the Yaqui Valley, and it is a suspected cartel killing.
Meanwhile, throughout all the violence a new cartel – Jalisco New Generation appears to be taking over, famous for its ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel.
In many parts of Mexico, the new cartel is fighting battles that remind of medieval sieges – with fortified redoubts, and it is moving towards Mexico City, as well as towards the tourist resorts around Cancun, and the northern border.
The Jalisco cartel attempt to purchase belt-fed M-60 machine guns in the United States, and once brought down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Jalisco is also mounting a propaganda campaign, using videos and social media to threaten rivals while promising civilians that it won’t prey on them with extortion and kidnappings.
A typical promise, in the form of a distorted “election campaign” promise, which is seldom kept.
“It seems like the Jalisco New Generation group is taking over everywhere,” said a priest in the western city of Apatzingan. “It seems like they allow people to work, and they don’t prey on civilians, they don’t kidnap, they don’t steal vehicles, they just go about their drug business.”
In short: the Jalisco cartel is terrifying: the cartel has made the city of Guadalajara and surrounding suburbs into a giant clandestine grave site.
Hundreds of bodies have been found in the last year, dumped in drainage canals, buried in fields and the patios and yards of homes. Bodies have been found dissolved in acid or lye, bodies have been found in plastic bags.
So many bodies have been found in Guadalajara that authorities ran out of space at the morgue and took to moving rotting bodies around in refrigerated trucks until neighbors complained about the smell.
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown actually made it easier for cartels to spread their influence and made the clashes even worse, as competition is ramping up and they are attempting to put ever more areas under their control.
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southfront--2020-06-08--U.S. Successfully Tested Vintage Racer Hypersonic Loitering Weapon

The U.S. appears to have successfully tested its Vintage Racer hypersonic loitering weapon .
The investigation on the matter was carried out by American author Steve Trimble , specializing in aviation topics .
It followed a photograph of US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy at the General Atomics Booth at AUSA-2019 .
The starting point for the journalist was the document held by the minister .
The printout is entitled “ Vintage Racer – Loitering Weapon System ( LWS ) ” , it clearly shows several headings pointing to hypersonic weapons .
The slide illustration shows something launched from a ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found evidence of Vintage Racer systems in the open budget documentation of the US Department of Defense .
There , it was held as an OCD under an article providing for accelerated financing and construction of prototypes according to the requirements of the armed forces .
The documentation said , in particular , that “ the project successfully passed the confirmation of the aerodynamic layout during blowdowns in the wind tunnel and the integration of guidance subsystems to achieve the effect of kinetic destruction of the target before the climax in the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It was further stated that the prototypes of the project were transferred to the US Army for the further development and organization of the procurement process .
Comparing this with the fact that the Vintage Racer project is apparently engaged in the General Atomics corporation , which specializes in UAVs rather than missile systems , and that the budget documentation refers to “ kinetic defeat ” , and in the presentation from AUSA-2019 – about “ Hypersonic Ingress ” and “ Time Over Target ” technologies , it can be assumed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of barrage weapon system , equipped with small-sized , hypersonic kinetic ammunition .
In any case , based on the volume of financing , this can not be a system of strategic or “ substrategic ” appointment .
Recall that in the United States for several decades work has been underway to create small-sized hypersonic missiles of kinetic destruction , mainly in relation to anti-tank missions .
Now the task of kinetic damage can also be relevant to reduce the side effect ( we can recall the version of the Hellfire kinetic damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , tested in the early 1980s , the HVM aircraft missile with a speed of Mach 6 had a mass of 20 kg with a length of about 2m and a diameter of 89.4 mm .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia Launches New Radar Capable Of Tracking Up To 1,000 Targets , Including Hypersonic

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The U.S. appears to have successfully tested its Vintage Racer hypersonic loitering weapon.
OMG, Vintage Racer has been flight tested successfully and transitioned to the Army for follow-on development. This thing is actually real, not just a briefing slide! https://t.co/Mp2zEZao0H https://t.co/fzpvgSsWdI pic.twitter.com/ILBhN05tVU — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) June 7, 2020
The investigation on the matter was carried out by American author Steve Trimble, specializing in aviation topics.
It followed a photograph of US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy at the General Atomics Booth at AUSA-2019.
Browsing SecArmy’s Flickr page, I find a photo from AUSA, where guys with General Atomics badges brief on “Vintage Racer – Loitering Weapon System.” I can make out bullet points with “Hypersonic Ingress,” “Survivable,” “Time Over Target,” &“Multi-Role.”https://t.co/FFg2vTryka pic.twitter.com/gi0jK3mUDH — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) June 7, 2020
The starting point for the journalist was the document held by the minister. The printout is entitled “Vintage Racer – Loitering Weapon System (LWS)”, it clearly shows several headings pointing to hypersonic weapons. The slide illustration shows something launched from a ground installation.
Looking into it, Trimble found evidence of Vintage Racer systems in the open budget documentation of the US Department of Defense. There, it was held as an OCD under an article providing for accelerated financing and construction of prototypes according to the requirements of the armed forces.
The documentation said, in particular, that “the project successfully passed the confirmation of the aerodynamic layout during blowdowns in the wind tunnel and the integration of guidance subsystems to achieve the effect of kinetic destruction of the target before the climax in the form of flight tests in fiscal year 2019.”
It was further stated that the prototypes of the project were transferred to the US Army for the further development and organization of the procurement process.
Comparing this with the fact that the Vintage Racer project is apparently engaged in the General Atomics corporation, which specializes in UAVs rather than missile systems, and that the budget documentation refers to “kinetic defeat”, and in the presentation from AUSA-2019 – about “Hypersonic Ingress” and “Time Over Target” technologies, it can be assumed that under Vintage Racer there is a kind of barrage weapon system, equipped with small-sized, hypersonic kinetic ammunition. In any case, based on the volume of financing, this cannot be a system of strategic or “substrategic” appointment.
Recall that in the United States for several decades work has been underway to create small-sized hypersonic missiles of kinetic destruction, mainly in relation to anti-tank missions. Now the task of kinetic damage can also be relevant to reduce the side effect (we can recall the version of the Hellfire kinetic damage rocket currently used for special tasks). So, tested in the early 1980s, the HVM aircraft missile with a speed of Mach 6 had a mass of 20 kg with a length of about 2m and a diameter of 89.4 mm.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Locations Of US Carrier Strike Groups – June 8, 2020

This is the newst update of the ‘ U.S .
Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map ’ exclusive series showing the @ @ @ @ @ Strike Groups .
SouthFront : Analysis & Intelligence tracks locations of U.S. aircraft carriers using @ @ @ @ @ No classified information was used in production of the map .
Carrier strike group ( @ @ @ @ @ formation of the United States Navy .
It is centered on an aircraft carrier and @ @ @ @ @ CVW ) of 65 to 70 aircrafts .
It ’ s composed of roughly 7,500 @ @ @ @ @ , at least one cruiser , a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or @ @ @ @ @ group also , on occasion , includes submarines , attached logistics ships and a supply @ @ @ @ @ comprise a principal element of U.S. power projection over the world ’ s oceans .
@ @ @ @ @

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This is the newst update of the ‘U.S. Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map’ exclusive series showing the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups. SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence tracks locations of U.S. aircraft carriers using the available open-source information. No classified information was used in production of the map.
Carrier strike group (CSG) is an operational formation of the United States Navy. It is centered on an aircraft carrier and a carrier air wing (CVW) of 65 to 70 aircrafts. It’s composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or frigates. A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. Carrier strike groups comprise a principal element of U.S. power projection over the world’s oceans.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Violence Subsides As Protests Continue Throughout U.S.

On June 7th , 9 Minneapolis city council members announced plans to disband the city ’ s police department .
With nine votes the city council would have a veto-proof supermajority of the council ’ s 13 members , Bender said .
The announcement came as protests continued for the 13th day in a row , since George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin .
A crowd of protesters in Washington marched from DuPont Circle to the stretch of 16th Street that now bears a massive mural declaring , “ Black Lives Matter.
” Violence and looting appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Chicago , Philadelphia , and Buffalo lifted their curfews .
Regardless , June 6th ’ s protests saw some of the largest , peaceful crowds , especially in Washington .
Cities around the globe , including in France , Germany , England , Australia and Canada joined in on the protests .
Some new rules were introduced for police in some cities , suspending use of tear gas , and some police officers in New York and other cities being suspended from duty for being violent towards protesters .
Portland Mayor Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief to stop using tear gas to disperse crowds “ unless there is a serious and immediate threat to life safety , and there is no other viable alternative for dispersal.
” The Seattle police chief said on June 5th she suspended the department ’ s use of tear gas for crowd management for at least the next month .
In Denver , a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of “ chemical weapons or projectiles of any kind ” against peaceful protesters .
Finally , showing that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had ordered the National Guard to withdraw from the nation ’ s capital following days of peaceful protests .
Around 5,000 troops were sought to patrol Washington , approximately 3,900 of which were from out of state .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Distraction Tactics : Reports Of Chinese and Iranian Hacking , Russians Behind Protests

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On June 7th, 9 Minneapolis city council members announced plans to disband the city’s police department.
“We committed to dismantling policing as we know it in the city of Minneapolis and to rebuild with our community a new model of public safety that actually keeps our community safe,” Council President Lisa Bende said.
With nine votes the city council would have a veto-proof supermajority of the council’s 13 members, Bender said.
“(We need) to listen, especially to our black leaders, to our communities of color, for whom policing is not working and to really let the solutions lie in our community,” she said.
The announcement came as protests continued for the 13th day in a row, since George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin.
A crowd of protesters in Washington marched from DuPont Circle to the stretch of 16th Street that now bears a massive mural declaring, “Black Lives Matter.”
Violence and looting appear to be subsiding, as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Buffalo lifted their curfews.
New York City: We are lifting the curfew, effective immediately. Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city. Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart. Keep staying safe. Keep looking out for each other. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2020
Regardless, June 6th’s protests saw some of the largest, peaceful crowds, especially in Washington.
Cities around the globe, including in France, Germany, England, Australia and Canada joined in on the protests.
Thousands turn out for a #BlackLivesMatter demonstration at Piccadilly Gardens. #Protests have been seen all around the world after the death of George Floyd who died while in police custody in America last week. #blm pic.twitter.com/Y7SODTDIea — andybartonphoto (@Andybartonphoto) June 6, 2020
Some new rules were introduced for police in some cities, suspending use of tear gas, and some police officers in New York and other cities being suspended from duty for being violent towards protesters.
Since the death of #GeorgeFloyd in police custody sparked #protests across the U.S., police have assaulted and arrested journalists covering them—in some cases causing serious injury. CPJ's @MustafaHameed compiled some of the shocking moments caught on video. #PressFreedom pic.twitter.com/LCgGurJ91r — Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) June 5, 2020
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler directed the city’s police chief to stop using tear gas to disperse crowds “unless there is a serious and immediate threat to life safety, and there is no other viable alternative for dispersal.”
“I stand in solidarity with our non-violent demonstrators, who are sending a strong message that we are long overdue for meaningful reform and restorative justice,” the mayor tweeted.
The Seattle police chief said on June 5th she suspended the department’s use of tear gas for crowd management for at least the next month.
In Denver, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of “chemical weapons or projectiles of any kind” against peaceful protesters.
Finally, showing that the violence is, indeed, subsiding, US President Donald Trump tweeted that he had ordered the National Guard to withdraw from the nation’s capital following days of peaceful protests. Around 5,000 troops were sought to patrol Washington, approximately 3,900 of which were from out of state.
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southfront--2020-06-08--Turkish Proxies Kidnapped And Killed Young Woman In Afrin (Photos 18+)

Members of the Turkish-backed militant groups , the Sultan Murad Division , have kidnapped and killed a woman in the @ @ @ @ @ .
The area is currently occupied by the Turkish Army and pro-Turkish militants .
According @ @ @ @ @ happend after 16yo Malak Nabih Khalil had refused to get married to a militant .
@ @ @ @ @ being killed .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Suicide Bomber Blew Himself Up In @ @ @ @ @ Photos , Video )

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Members of the Turkish-backed militant groups, the Sultan Murad Division, have kidnapped and killed a woman in the northern Syrian region of Afrin. The area is currently occupied by the Turkish Army and pro-Turkish militants.
According to reports, the incident happend after 16yo Malak Nabih Khalil had refused to get married to a militant. She was allegedly raped before being killed.
The body of a minor Kurdish young woman, Malak Nabih Khalil Jumah, 16, was found from the people of Darwish village of Shara district after she was kidnapped by the mercenaries of Sultan Murad of the Turkish occupation on 05/23/2020#SaveOurGirls pic.twitter.com/7LiALHID3w — DelalBakur? (@DelalMe1978) June 7, 2020
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