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Ben Norton @BenjaminNorton
, 5 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Media's Russia Obsession Obscures How Trump's Syria Withdrawal Benefits Turkey Most

I interviewed veteran reporter Patrick Cockburn, who said it is "conspiratorial" and "childish" when the media claims Trump's withdrawal is a Christmas gift to Putin
Patrick Cockburn: Trump's Syria withdrawal is good for Turkey, not Russia

"A lot of this has to do with Trump wanting to get on better terms with Turkey. And if he does want to do anything against Iran, having better relations with Turkey is essential"
therealnews.com/stories/medias…
An Iranian newspaper editor said the withdrawal of US troops from Syria “is a victory for resistance forces but one must be careful of secret agreements between the US and Turkey.”
al-monitor.com/pulse/original…
MSNBC has become an openly pro-war outlet. Host Joe Scaborough absurdly called Trump's withdrawal of troops from Syria an "early Christmas present" for Russia.

He had on the former NATO supreme allied commander, who said Putin is now "doing high-fives with the mullahs in Tehran"
It's surreal how MSNBC hosts have become indistinguishable from neocons. Joe Scarborough called Trump's withdrawal from Syria "foreign policy welfare for Vladimir Putin"

He complained Trump is not being aggressive enough against Iran, and implied this is all a Kremlin conspiracy
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(Movie Review Thread) I just saw Peter Jackson's new film They Shall Not Grow Old, a documentary on World War I. The film is technically breathtaking, but I was shocked to see a film on WWI that is completely apolitical. It's about political mass slaughter but it avoids politics!
They Shall Not Grow Old does not even try to explain why WWI was fought — let alone why it was an entirely preventable, pointless inter-imperialist bloodbath that led to the unnecessary deaths of tens of millions of (almost entirely poor) people!
Instead the whole point of the film is to humanize the soldiers fighting in WWI and show what day-to-day life was for them. And that's great; it's important to see the mind-boggling horrors of WWI and trench warfare. But that must be done *in historical and political context*.
Read 14 tweets
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I just saw @ViceMovie, and it's brilliant. The film shows how well-made narratives can capture the zeitgeist and politics of an era not only more captivatingly but even more accurately than documentaries. Because it's not just about the facts; it's about the tone and attitude.
.@GhostPanther masterfully captured the essence of Cheney and the Bush admin -- and the facts, yes, but more importantly the spirit.

Christian Bale and Amy Adams used their bodies as instruments, like musical virtuosi, to forge a sick world in which reactionary power intoxicates
Vice does much more than just retell the story of Cheney/Bush's crimes; it offers profound human insight into how right-wing aspiring autocrats think about and see the world, and their place in it

By humanizing blood-soaked Dick Cheney, it makes his crimes all the more monstrous
Read 6 tweets
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I interviewed peace activist @MedeaBenjamin of @CODEPINK, who stressed that US support for the Saudi monarchy must be fundamentally challenged.

Some US officials want a cosmetic change, simply replacing Crown Prince MBS, but the problem runs much deeper
.@MedeaBenjamin: "It's our job now to say this is not just about MBS... We have to use this time to re-evaluate the entire relationship. But it’s very difficult then, because there’s so much money that is involved in this."
therealnews.com/stories/the-re…
Back in early 2016, @CODEPINK organized the first-ever summit calling for an end to the "suicidal death pact between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia" salon.com/2016/03/10/ins…
Read 3 tweets

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All 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia FSB in #KerchStrait declare themselves "prisoners of war." They await trial in Moscow. #Russia's outrageous open attack on #Ukraine in int'l waters off #Crimea is a HUGE int'l incident. Barely a blip in US press. ru.krymr.com/a/news-zahvat-…
Reminder THREAD on Russia's recent attack on Ukraine—ramming, shooting & seizing ships & sailors in int'l waters. Its overtness shows a dangerously brazen & newly emboldened Putin. I bet Trump's meek response to such a major attack played a big role in Mattis' decision to resign.
Yes, Trump's Syria withdrawal was the last straw for Mattis. But Mattis' bold remarks & acts re Russia attacking Ukraine in Kerch Strait take on new significance given his resignation. Mattis condemned Putin as someone "we simply can't trust" & likely expected Trump to do same.👇
Read 6 tweets
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#Breaking #Syria
#Erdogan said that #Turkey will start Eastern Euphrates operation against #YPG within days but #US soldiers will not be targeted.
#Breaking #Syria #OperationEasternEuphrates
#Turkey and #FSA will aim at taking control of the towns of Tal Abyad (Gire Spi) and Sere Kaniye.
#Syria #OperationEasternEuphrates
The #US released a statement about #Turkish threats: "Unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly as US personnel may be present or in the vicinity, is of grave concern. We would find any such actions unacceptable".
Read 67 tweets
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#BreakingNews:

#Syria #Idlib postponed until 15 of #Decembre to start with, with a 15km buffer zone and an engagement of #Turkey to disarm Nusra ( or merge it) and neutralise all other jihadists.
#Moscow has accepted to give #Ankara more time (for after the US sanctions really) to sort out #Idlib and the jihadists in the city, defusing the #US intention to bomb #Syria.

So: no job for warmongers for the next couple of months. Find another war.
#turkey wants the #idlib case to be postponed until the constitutional changes and the peace process to kickoff in #Geneva: more time for Idlib and Turkey to sort out its affairs with Syrian proxies.

All here in details:
ahtribune.com/world/north-af… …
Read 6 tweets
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#Syria UPDATE: 1. So, it appears #Russia, #US working on de-escalation options now via a number of "middle men". RUS military stated earlier it's been in touch w/ American Joint Chief of Staff over the issue & there're Rus-#NATO communication/talks via #Turkey military.
2.#Putin spoke on the phone w/ #Netanyahu earlier today. #Russia Prez said #Syria sovereignty should be respected, urged to refrain from actions that "could further destabilize the situayion in the country." #Israel's PM stood the ground on #Iran's prwsence in SYR as unacceptable
3. In #Moscow rumors have it #Netanyahu playing important intermediary role b/n #Putin & #Trump now, (an option #Russia has long been favoring) but no details on how big his role is. Anyways, some kind of deal to deconflict is being attempted
Read 8 tweets

Trending hashtags

#Turkey #TNK #NutShellReport #Twitter #Trumps #Putin #ErikPrince #Russia #Rusal #firstlady #Kremlin #Iran #Qamishli #Chinese #RussianMafia #House #Moscow #SkripalCase #kompromat #Assange #BlackWater #Prague #Ukraine #Deripaska #Damascus

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