Media
Wednesday 13 December 2017
-
«… a significant part of the Russian military contingent stationed in Syrian Arab Republic is returning home to Russia. I order the Minister of Defense, the chief of General Staff to proceed with the withdrawal of the Russian group of forces to the places of their permanent deployment."
Two days after publicly ordering the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Syria, Vladimir Putin requested Parliamentary approval to significantly expand of Russia’s Naval presence in the country. -
However, the refusal of most prominent western media outlets to cover the breaking story from Kiev spells danger for “Mischa.” As I write, on Tuesday afternoon, the dramatic events [attempted arrest of Saakashvili and protests] are completely absent from the front pages of America’s CNN, New York Times, and Washington Post.
While the U.S. and the western press did not feature the stories on their front pages, they did not “refuse” to cover, and in fact reported with bylines and photographs from the region on the events unfolding in Kyiv before, on, and after December 5. -
“Actually, there is a civil war in Ukraine between the DNR [Donetsk People’s Republic], the LNR [Luhansk People’s Republic], and the rest of Ukraine. It is completely unclear why Russia should bear any responsibility for this.”
RT is predominantly citing experts and politicians who agree with the Kremlin’s claim, that Russia is not a party to the war in Ukraine, which it calls a “civil war.” There is, however factual proof of Russia’s active involvement in creating the conflict, and was behind the creation of the secessionist “republics,” which Moscow sustains financially and logistically. -
“Terrorists have been completely destroyed on the both banks of the Euphrates River. Naturally, there might be some spots of resistance, but the military work has been largely completed in the area and at the time. Completed with a full victory, I repeat, with a victory and defeat of the terrorists.”
Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday, December 6 announced a complete liberation of Syria from the Islamic State. An hour after Putin’s announcement, his statement was backed up by Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Command of Russia’s Armed Forced, who said, “The Army General Sergey Shoigu briefed the commander-in-chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin an hour ago that all ISIS terrorist groups in Syria have been destroyed and the territory was liberated.” His statement is bold, but largely accurate, with some caveats. -
“To all the self-righteous defenders of 'freedom of speech' who oh-so-ardently proclaimed that FARA registration places no restrictions whatsoever on RT's journalistic work in the US: Withdrawal of Congressional credentials speaks much louder than empty platitudes. And to borrow from Orwell, all ‘foreign agents‘ are equal, but looks like only RT is denied congressional accreditation on the basis of FARA status, while the likes of NHK and China Daily carry on business as usual, and U.S. officials continue to claim that the forced FARA registration for RT America's operating company isn't at all discriminatory.”
FARA does not restrict a media outlet's ability to cover the news. The Galleries stripped RT of credentials to cover the U.S. Congress in person. While it may appear that RT has been singled out, it is not entirely clear which outlets registered as foreign agents continue to have the credentials. -
“Closing a 55 kilometer zone around the U.S. base in At Tanf, the U.S. group established an area in which more than 50,000 people, according to various estimates, are isolated. This has created an unprecedented case of protracted blocking of humanitarian assistance to needy people. In the refugee camp, the opportunity to obtain sufficient food and appropriate medical care is absent, and children cannot go to school.”
Documents obtained by Polygraph.info, as well as Russian media reports, show that the U.S. is not solely responsible for the crisis in the Rukban refugee camp. In fact, the American side has repeatedly offered assistance in delivering aid. There are strong indicators that, the U.S. military in Syria, while being portrayed as a victimizer by the Russian Defense Ministry, is actually the target of a massive coordinated media campaign in Russia. -
Micalessin claims to have obtained “exclusive interviews” with three alleged Georgian mercenaries who took responsibility for shooting civilians during the Maidan protests
Despite overwhelming evidence that the Maidan shooters were members of the Victor Yanukovych's security services, pro-Kremlin sources have repeatedly tried to pin the killings on political opposition parties or foreign mercenaries. This story includes claims that have already been debunked. -
“This brave old man was a messenger in a unit of fighters for the freedom of Novorossiya. Neighbors and friends in Luhansk knew him as Mikhalych, his fellow militiamen knew him by his nom de guerre Charlie. Today he fell into the clutches of the Banderovtsy. Before the execution these filthy men draw a swastika on his forehead. We will not forget, we will not forgive!”
Despite the satirical nature of the tweet passing off a photo of the notorious American criminal as a Russian militiaman in Ukraine, the post was retweeted by top Russian politician and even made headlines in the Russian press. -
“I propose moving the celebration of World Press Freedom Day to November 10” [the day RT-America filed as a foreign agent]
Despite Simonyan’s constant criticism of the U.S. for violating press freedom, Polygraph.info’s fact-check of RT’s FARA documents found that the U.S. Intelligence community assessment -- “RT has positioned itself as a domestic US channel and has deliberately sought to obscure any legal ties to the Russian Government” – is accurate and fact-based. -
“#RusMoD shows irrefutable evidence that US are actually covering ISIS combat units to recover their combat capabilities, redeploy, and use them to promote the American interests in the Middle East.
The original social media post contained an image from the video game AC-130 Gunship Simulator. Other photos came from airstrikes in Iraq from last year. -
“NGO …designed merely to inform not influence. Programs… reflect balance… and are not aimed to primarily benefit any foreign government or political party.”
RT has registered under FARA as T&R Production, a limited liability company; listed as its “foreign principal” ANO TV-Novosti, an “NGO organized under Russian Federal Law”; and claimed that the registrant (RT) “exercises independent editorial control.” None of that is true. -
“The established facts show that not a single Russian connection has been found. All the connections that have been found are internal, including at the Democratic National Committee, where an insider interfered with the process and leaked information to the rivals.”
A report from the Director of National Intelligence Office states that there is “high confidence” among US intelligence agencies that the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the Russian military intelligence agency also known as the GRU, was involved in illegally obtaining and disseminating data that was turned over to and published by WikiLeaks.