ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

It looks that even mainstream think tanks, supporting the NATO, don’t care about providing real facts about the military bloc. On July 12, Stratfor, often described as a CIA-linked organization,  released a map designed to show NATO member states and years when they joined the alliance . The only problem that the map includes mistakes obvious for any informed person: According to the map, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany, joined the NATO in 1982. The GDR has never been a NATO member state. Slovenia, a NATO member state since 2004, is shown by Stratfor as a neutral country. The map says that Spain joined the NATO in 1990. Indeed, Spain joined the bloc in 1982. Strtfor also failed to mention Montenegro as a NATO member. The country joined the bloc in 2017. Click to see the full-size image These mistakes were obsviously noted by Twitter users. However, Stratfor has ingored the feedback so far. Click to see the full-size image

AP Photo / Vahid Salemi The US is considering an option to impose sanctions against Russia, China and EU states for buying Iranian oil, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee. “We intend to enforce sanctions on them [China], on Russia, on Europe and others against Iran oil,” Mnuchin answered to a question if the US would impose sanctions on China for importing Iranian oil. Washington has repeatedly threatened that it is set to impose new sanctions on Iran and urged all world countries, including its allies, not to stop purchasing Iranian oil and to cut trade ties with the country. The Trump administration claimed that those states that fail to do so will be blacklisted by the US. Earlier this year, President Trump announced that the US is withdrawing from Iran nuclear deal and is increasing pressure on the country.

Kurganets-25 IFVs Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) based on the Kurganets-25 standardized armored platform will arrive for troops for trials in 2019, Russia’s Kurganmashzavod defense manufacturer said in an annual report on July 4. According to the report, the IFVs prototypes are currently being finalized and prepared “for comprehensive trials preceding the acceptance of this armor for service.” The document added that “Kurganmashzavod has concluded state contracts for the delivery of experimental batches of these vehicles in 2019-2021.” The Kurganets-25 is a standardized tracked platform designed for developing an IFV, an armored assault vehicle, an armored personnel carrier and a self-propelled artillery system with a 125mm gun. Click to see the full-size image

Written by  Eric Zuesse ; Originally appeared on  strategic-culture.org The US Government (with France and a few other US allies) bombs Libya, Syria, etc.; and the US regime refuses to accept any of the resulting refugees — the burdens from which are now breaking the EU, and  the EU is sinking in economic competition against America’s international corporations . America’s corporations remain blithely unscathed by not only  the refugees  that are breaking up the EU, but also by the EU’s economic sanctions against Russia, Iran, and other allies of governments that the US regime is trying to overthrow in its constant invasions and coups. The US Government makes proclamations such as “Assad must go!” — but by what right is the US Government involved, at all, in determining whom the leaders in Syria will be? Syria never invaded the US In fact, Syria never invaded anywhere (except, maybe, Israel, in order to respond against Israel’s invasions). Furthermore,  ...

Click to see the full-size image On Saturday, June 30, in the British City Amesbury (12 km from Salisbury) there was an incident which initially seemed to be common and insignificant: with a difference of several hours, Salibury District Hospital admitted a man and a woman: 45-year-old Charlie Rowley and 44 year old Dawn Sturges.  Initial conclusions of doctors indicated that the couple was poisoned by a narcotic substance (heroine or crack cocaine). However, on July 4, Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations Neil Basu announced that Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturges were exposed to the poison agent of the class “Novichok” (the nerve agent Novichok). According to him, this is evidenced by tests, conducted in the laboratory of Porton Down, located nearby. The statement of Neil Basu provoked a series of publications in British and world media, which somehow linked the incident in Amesbury with the case of Skripals and mentioned the possible involvement of Russia. On Jul...