Sheep-Dogging on Steroids: America’s New Democratic Party Anti-War Activists
Ajamu Baraka | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
The rhetoric of the Democratic “progressives” only gives cover to the ongoing criminality of the U.S. state and its commitment to permanent war — with congressional approval. | In the cynical spectacle that is called politics in the United States, the …
globalresearch.ca/new-democratic-party-a…
Reckless US Actions Fire Up The Antiwar Movement
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-09
The reckless and dangerous act of war committed by Donald Trump and the Pentagon in killing Major General Qasem Soleimani of Iran and the Iraqi leader of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, has brought the conflict in the Middle East (aka West Asia) to a new level. The conflagration of war is growing with …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/reckless-us-a…
The Threat of War Inflates Stock Holdings of Military Contractor CEOs
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
CEOs of major U.S. military contractors stand to reap huge windfalls from the escalation of conflict with Iran. This was evident in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. assassination of a top Iranian military official last week. As soon as the news reached financial markets, these companies’ share prices spiked, inflating the value of their executives’ stock-based pay. | I took a look at how the CEOs at the top five Pentagon contractors were affected by this surge, using the most recent SEC informati…
truthout.org/articles/the-threat-of-war-…
Iraqi PM reveals Soleimani was on peace mission when assassinated, exploding Trump’s lie of ‘imminent attacks’
Max Blumenthal | mronline.org | 2020-01-09
The Trump administration claimed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was planning “imminent attacks” on U.S. interests when it assassinated him. That lie was just destroyed, but not before countless corporate media outlets transmitted it to the public. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/09/iraqi-pm-reveals…
Andrew Bacevich: Trump Sparked “Unnecessary Crisis” by Killing Soleimani, Barely Avoiding War
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-09
President Trump vowed on Wednesday to hit Iran with new sanctions but appeared to pull back from taking any new military action. Tension between the two countries soared after the U.S. assassinated Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport last week. Early on Wednesday, Iran retaliated by firing 22 ballistic missiles at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces, but no one was injured in the attack. Iran had warned the Iraqi government about the strike in advance. Two small rockets also later hit the Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. During a televised address on Wednesda…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/9/andrew_bac…
Andrew Bacevich: The U.S. Needs to Abandon “Militarized Approach” to Middle East and Build Peace
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-09
We continue our conversation with Andrew Bacevich, president and co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is a retired colonel, Vietnam War veteran and author of, most recently, of “The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory.” Bacevich says the crisis with Iran, sparked by President Trump’s assassination of top general Qassem Soleimani, is just the latest in a long series of ill-advised American actions in the Middle East. “The only conceivable way for us to begin to extricate ourselves from this terrible mess in the region … is to abandon this militarized approac…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/9/andrew_bac…
Uyghurs & Other Muslim Minorities Forced into Labor Programs to Work in Chinese Factories
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-09
In China, a shocking new exposé has revealed that Chinese authorities are systematically forcing Muslims — mostly Uyghurs and Kazakhs — into labor programs to supply Chinese factories with a cheap and compliant workforce. The New York Times investigation, based on official documents, interviews and visits to the far-western region of Xinjiang, reveals a sweeping program to push poor farmers, villagers and small traders into sometimes months-long training courses before assigning them to low-wage factory work. The programs work in tandem with indoctrination camps where an estimated 1 million adults fro…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/9/china_uygh…
Demonstrations break out across Pennsylvania to oppose U.S. war drive
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2020-01-09
Anti-war organizers in Pennsylvania sprung into action following the Trump administration’s brazen act of war against Iran to participate in the January 4 national day of action.
liberationnews.org/demonstrations-break-…
In the streets and in Congress, Americans stand up for peace
Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-09
WASHINGTON–Insisting that the nation will not be forced into yet another war, progressive lawmakers here yesterday and today–and the American people demonstrating from coast to coast today–are bringing into the open an anti-war majority in the U.S. Declaring Congress needs to take its constitutional responsibility for war and peace back from “an irrational administration,” the …
peoplesworld.org/article/in-the-streets-…
Peace activists in South say ‘No war on Iran’
Liberation Staff | liberationnews.org | 2020-01-09
Reports from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky.
liberationnews.org/peace-activists-in-so…
US and Iran avoid war, but Trump’s war-mongering goes on
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-09
The threat of an immediate US-Iran military conflict has been averted, but President Donald Trump has vowed to continue his…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/09/us-and-iran-a…
The US vs. Iran: Who Won and Who Lost?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Iran’s symbolic missile strike against two US bases in Iraq was a soft power victory for the Islamic Republic despite not causing any casualties, though the US undoubtedly achieved a military victory by assassinating Maj. Gen. Soleimani in Baghdad last …
globalresearch.ca/us-iran-who-won-who-lo…
GRAPHIC footage from France’s Rouen shows levels of police violence that enraged protesters nationwide (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Demonstrators have been left bloodied and beaten after clashes with riot police in the French city of Rouen, as authorities clamp down on the pension reform protests which have swept the country. | Eyewitness footage from the scene shows riot police engaging with demonstrators in ever-increasingly aggressive encounters, ranging from pushing and shoving, to tear gassing, before eventually the police begin swinging batons at the unarmed protesters. | Un autre angle de la charge des forces de l’ordre à #Rouen. Coups de matraques et gazag…
rt.com/news/477841-graphic-footage-rouen…
GRAPHIC footage from France’s Rouen shows levels of police violence that enraged protesters nationwide (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Demonstrators have been left bloodied and beaten after clashes with riot police in the French city of Rouen, as authorities clamp down on the pension reform protests which have swept the country. | Eyewitness footage from the scene shows riot police engaging with demonstrators in, ever-increasingly aggressive encounters, ranging from pushing and shoving, to tear gassing, before eventually the police begin swinging batons at the unarmed protesters. | Un autre angle de la charge des forces de l’ordre à #Rouen. Coups de matraques et gaza…
rt.com/news/477841-graphic-footage-rouen…
After 68 Days, Hunger Strikers in ICE Custody Are on the Brink of Death
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
New Orleans, Louisiana — With hunger strikes sweeping immigration jails across the country, two Indian asylum seekers protesting their incarceration at a remote Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jail in Louisiana are reportedly on the brink of death after refusing to eat or drink for 68 days, according to a volunteer who regularly visits the two men. | The hunger strikers have a clear demand: to be released so they can pursue their asylum cases outside of jail. | Medical staff at the…
truthout.org/articles/after-68-days-hung…
Why Won’t Democrats Unequivocally Oppose War With Iran?
Norman Solomon | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
A crisis of this magnitude demands a forceful response, yet even such putative progressives as Sen. Chris Murphy feel the need to equivocate.
truthdig.com/articles/why-wont-democrats…
Biden and Buttigieg Are Showing How Corporatism and ‘the Madness of Militarism’ Go Together
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
There’s nothing like an illegal and utterly reckless U.S. act of war to illuminate the political character of presidential candidates. In the days since the assassination of Iran’s top military official, two of the highest-polling Democratic contenders have displayed the kind of moral cowardice that got the United States into — and kept it in…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/biden-and-bu…
Ralph Nader: Impeach Trump for His Illegal War on Iran
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
Many Americans have forecasted that the outlaw Donald Trump will commit even more illegal acts to increasing his support in the 2020 presidential year. Remember Wag the Dog, a film about using a fabricated war to draw attention away from presidential misdeeds. Those Americans have been proven right by Donald Trump’s attempt to provoke an unlawful war with Iran. Likewise, Trump has illegally ordered his staff or ex-staff to ignore Congressional subpoenas to testify and provide documents. | As the most impeachable president in American history, Trump continues to shred our Constitution and its critical separation o…
truthdig.com/articles/ralph-nader-impeac…
Ralph Nader: Impeach Trump for His Illegal War on Iran
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
Many Americans have forecasted that the outlaw Donald Trump will commit even more illegal acts to increasing his support in the 2020 presidential year. Remember Wag the Dog, a film about using a fabricated war to draw attention away from presidential misdeeds. Those Americans have been proven right by Donald Trump’s attempt to provoke an unlawful war with Iran. Likewise, Trump has illegally ordered his staff or ex-staff to ignore Congressional subpoenas to testify and provide documents. | As the most impeachable president in American history, Trump continues to shred our Constitution and its critical separation o…
truthdig.com/articles/ralph-nader-impeac…
‘The assassination of Qasem Soleimani was an act of war’
Michael Arria | mronline.org | 2020-01-09
On January 5, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Barbara Lee announced that they are introducing a War Powers Resolution in the House. The legislation would remove U.S. forces from any conflict with Iran that hasn’t been granted congressional approval and is a companion to a Senate resolution that was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/09/the-assassinatio…
Retired Colonel Urges Congress to Constrain Trump After Suleimani Assassination
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
President Trump vowed on Wednesday to hit Iran with new sanctions but appeared to pull back from taking any new military action. Tension between the two countries soared after the U.S. assassinated Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport last week. Early on Wednesday, Iran retaliated by firing 22 ballistic missiles at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces, but no one was injured in the attack. Iran had warned the Iraqi government about the strike in advance. Two small roc…
truthout.org/video/urges-congress-to-con…
Disruptive Assassinations: Killing Qassem Soleimani
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
On the surface, it made not one iota of sense. The murder of a foreign military leader on his way from Baghdad airport, his diplomatic status assured by the local authorities, evidently deemed a target of irresistible richness.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/disruptive-a…
US Isolationist Forces Strike the Middle East
Charles Pierson | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
If any good comes out of the US assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani it may be to finally put to rest the lunatic notion that President Donald Trump is an isolationist.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/us-isolation…
Iran’s Strikes Against the U.S. Demonstrates the Unipolar System Is Truly Over
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
When U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, he certainly had not expected that Iran would respond in the way it did by bombarding two U.S. military bases in Iraqi territory. It is likely …
globalresearch.ca/iran-strikes-against-u…
Trump’s Iran ‘Punching Bag’: US Provocations to Continue. Baiting Iran to Escalate?
Dr. Jack Rasmus | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Trump’s assassination of Iran’s general and senior diplomat, Soleimani, was a clear provocation by the US, designed to produce a further escalated military response by Iran. That did not happen. Iran did not take the bait. It responded minimally and …
globalresearch.ca/trump-iran-punching-ba…
Tired of media’s Pentagon spin? Lee Camp outlines 6 things you aren’t being told about the US assassination of Soleimani (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Media outlets have omitted aspects about the US assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani that don’t fit Washington’s narrative, comedian Lee Camp has argued. He’s debunked the Pentagon spin so you don’t have to. | The host of Redacted Tonight has listed six things about the highly controversial killing that the media has either ignored completely or under-reported, including the not-so-convenient fact that Soleimani had come to Baghdad to hold de-escalation talks with Saudi Arabia — before being killed by a US drone. | And what about the fact that the US carried out this strike without the perm…
rt.com/usa/477812-lee-camp-media-soleima…
The Deeper Story Behind the Assassination of Soleimani. Washington Threats to Engage in False flag Sniper Shootings. Iraq Prime Minister
Federico Pieraccini | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Days after the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, new and important information is coming to light from a speech given by the Iraqi prime minister. The story behind Soleimani’s assassination seems to go much deeper than what has thus …
globalresearch.ca/deeper-story-behind-as…
Trump was never a break from the norm in US politics — and his fight against Iran proves it
Peter Bolton | thecanary.co | 2020-01-09
The start of 2020 has seen an escalation in tensions between the US and Iran not previously seen since the 1970s. These tensions culminated in a US airstrike in Baghdad that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. As is typical of the Trump a…
thecanary.co/opinion/2020/01/09/trump-wa…
John Kerry Did It
Ann Garrison | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
The Democratic National Committee’s scapegoating began early in 2016, months before wall building, climate change denying, health care abolishing, tax dodging, spewing demagogue Donald Trump surprised everyone including himself by taking the White House. First Wikileaks elected Trump by releasing …
globalresearch.ca/john-kerry-did-it/5700…
Chance of a Military Draft in the US? Less Than Zero!
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
Wouldn’t it be the height of hypocrisy if Mr. Bone Spur approved a military draft (with the help of Congress)? The fact that the Selective Service website crashed following the drone assassination of Iranian General Suleimani (“US government agency website crashes amid panic over military draft,” Guardian, January 4, 2020), and will lead to a draft, is the stuff…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/chance-of-a-…
Beware imperialist gaslighting–assassination is not legal
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-01-09
The contradictions between imperialist actions and the legal standards they create can do much to raise mass consciousness and accelerate revolutionary momentum. But this can happen only if people know what the law is in the first place. Imperialists have been vigilant in their efforts to obscure and distort legal standards. We must be just […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/09/beware-imperiali…
America the Repugnant. Assassinating Foreign Leaders Is an Act of War
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Once upon a time there was a Constitution of the United States. In Article II, Section 2 it stipulated that only the U.S. Congress has the power to declare war, which means the American president has to go to the …
globalresearch.ca/assassinating-foreign-…
The US Propaganda Machine Justifies the Assassination of Qassem Suleimani
Andre Damon | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Over the past two days, millions of people have marched in cities throughout Iran and Iraq to condemn the killing of Qassem Suleimani. The response to the assassination contradicts the narrative constructed by the Trump administration, the Democratic Party …
globalresearch.ca/us-propaganda-machine-…
Bernie Sanders Nabs Key Grassroots Endorsement
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
Pointing to his decades-long commitment to fighting the climate crisis and embrace of a sweeping transformation of the American energy system and economy through a Green New Deal, the youth-led Sunrise Movement on Thursday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. | “We believe a Bernie Sanders presidency would provide the best political terrain in which to engage in and ultimately win that struggle for the world we deserve,” said Varshini Prakash, found…
truthdig.com/articles/bernie-sanders-nab…
The current U.S. approach to nuclear weapons can only lead to armageddon–arms control provides the only path to peace
Prabir Purkayastha | mronline.org | 2020-01-09
The decade ends with two major threats to humanity: global warming leading to a climate catastrophe and the threat of a nuclear war extinguishing our civilization. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/08/the-current-u-s-…
Will Youth Climate Activists Be the Crucial Swing Vote in Iowa?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
The largest rally so far during the presidential campaign, in the first state to vote, was led by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta T…
truthout.org/articles/will-youth-climate…
National Trust plans massive woodland expansion to offset emissions
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-01-09
The National Trust is planning to create new woodland equivalent to 42 Sherwood Forests as part of efforts to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2030.The organisation, which cares for countryside, coasts, castles and stately homes, is aiming to plant and establish 20m trees over 10 years to tackle the climate crisis.It made the announcement, which it says will cost around £90-100m, to mark its 125th anniversary. | We must do everything we can to fight climate change. Today our Director-General set out our plans to go carbon net zero by 2030 and to plant and establish 20 million trees over the next ten years:
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…
Australian Wildfires Prove Denying Climate Change Won’t Save You From It
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-01-09
Climate scientist Michael Mann is in Australia, where the bushfire crisis is unfolding in real time. He says voters there need to look for ‘climate hawks’ who can counteract the climate-denying policies of politicians like current prime minister Scott Morrison.
therealnews.com/stories/australia-fire-d…
After four years of Corbyn, Blairite Sir Keir Starmer frontrunner in UK Labour leadership contest
wsws.org | 2020-01-09
Such is Corbyn’s political legacy in preserving the Blairites domination of the PLP that Starmer was the first candidate to secure the necessary nominations to go forward, including the backing of a major union, Unison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/09/labo…
“Rwanda, the Truth About Operation Turquoise: When the Archives Speak”
Dennis Riches | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
In France, it is difficult to speak about certain subjects without unleashing the guard dogs of correct thought and dominant ideology. The sensitive dossiers are well-known: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the civil-global war in Syria, and the Rwandan genocides. Even to …
globalresearch.ca/rwanda-truth-operation…
This might be the final episode of Juan Guaidó’s surreal Venezuela regime-change reality show
Leonardo Flores | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-09
The farcical scene of Juan Guaido attempting to break into Venezuela’s National Assembly as its members voted him out was…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/08/final-episode…
Trump Has Embraced War Crimes as a Re-Election Strategy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
The increasing elevation over the past months of war criminal Eddie Gallagher within Donald Trump’s presidential re-election campaign was already disturbing. But, now, within the context of escalating U.S. tensions with Iran and an impeachment process that has left Trump eager to reassert his primacy, it offers even greater cause for concern. Trump is using Gallagher to rally his base around the crudest possible notions of nationalism and raw power. As Trump continues to skirt the brink of conflict with Iran, the…
truthout.org/articles/trump-has-embraced…
Capitalism and the Gut-Wrenching Hijack of India
Colin Todhunter | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
In India, the ‘development’ paradigm is premised on moving farmers out of agriculture and into the cities to work in construction, manufacturing or the service sector, despite these sectors not creating anything like the number of jobs required. The aim …
globalresearch.ca/capitalism-hijack-indi…
‘Psychological warfare’: Iran dares Canada & others to show ‘intelligence’ they used to accuse Tehran of downing Ukrainian jet
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Iran has dismissed claims that the Ukrainian Boeing 737 that crashed near Tehran was hit by a missile as “psychological warfare,” calling on countries that lost citizens in the crash to send representatives to join its probe. | “All these reports are a psychological warfare against Iran,” government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Thursday. “All those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box.” | Meanwhile, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has called on Canadian PM Justin Trudeau…
rt.com/news/477872-iran-plane-psychologi…
Trump bides his time, but the preparations for war against Iran will continue
wsws.org | 2020-01-09
The media falsely claims that Trump’s failure to order immediate strikes against Iran signals an opening for peace.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/09/pers…
Pope Calls on Iran, US to Avoid Escalation and Seek Dialogue
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
Pope Francis issued an appeal to the United States and Iran on Thursday calling for the two nations to avoid escalation and to seek dialogue following tit-for-tat strikes in Iraq. | RELATED: | Brazil: Lula Criticized Bolsonaro’s Servility to Washington | During his “State of the World” address on Thursday, Pope Francis spent the a great deal of time discussing the ongoing conflicts in the world, along with the affects of global warming. | “Particularly troubling are the signals com…
telesurenglish.net/news/Pope-Calls-on-Ir…
Donald Trump’s Reckless Gamble with Iran Distracts from His Domestic Political Problems
Prof Rodrigue Tremblay | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
“Don’t let Obama play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected. –Be careful Republicans! Donald Trump (1946- ), 45th American president and hotel and casino owner, (statement made in a tweet, on Mon., …
globalresearch.ca/donald-trump-reckless-…
Iranian Commander Says Iran Will Take ‘Harsher Revenge Soon’
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
A commander from the Iranian Army issued a stern warning to the U.S. administration on Thursday, threatning to make a “harsher response soon” to Washington’s attacks against the Islamic Republic. | RELATED: | Pope Calls on Iran, US to Avoid Escalation and Seek Dialogue | In a statement released by the Tasnim News Agency, the Iranian Army commander Abdollah Araghi warned the U.S. not to think that the Islamic Republic was going to sit idle after this recent attack in Iraq. | Aragh…
telesurenglish.net/news/Iranian-Commande…
After Suleimani murder, New Anti-capitalist Party backs US war on Iran
wsws.org | 2020-01-09
The NPA advances the lie that Iran, a former colonial country, is in fact an imperialist power attacking Washington and slanders Suleimani personally as a mass murderer.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/09/npai…
Top US general claims Iran was ‘shooting to kill’… by giving early warning to hide personnel & prepare air-defenses?
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Although no one died in the Iranian missile strikes on US bases in Iraq, in part due to advance warning from Tehran, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he personally believed that Iran intended otherwise. | “I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, that [the strikes] were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel,” Army General Mark Milley told reporters on Wednesday. | “That’s my own personal assessment,” he added. “But the analytics is in the hands of professional intelligence analysts. So they’re looking at that.” | Also on rt.com…
rt.com/usa/477762-general-iran-strikes-i…
Iraqis to the United States: What Part of “Go Home” Don’t You Understand?
Steven Sahiounie | mintpressnews.com | 2020-01-09
Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases housing US troops in Iraq early hours of Wednesday morning. The al-Assad airbase in western Iraq was hit by 17 missiles, and 5 targeted at a base in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. No US casualties were immediately reported. | Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the attack a “slap in the face” of the US, and observers seem to question whether the attack was designed to kill or inflict casualties, or was it carefully orchestrated to produce closure to a situation which could have escalated into a regional or…
mintpressnews.com/iraq-united-states-par…
Canada’s Trudeau claims ‘intel from multiple sources’ points at Iran shooting down Ukrainian Boeing over Tehran
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Also on rt.com | | Trump confirms more sanctions against Iran, says Tehran plane crash may have been ‘mistake’ | DETAILS TO FOLLOW…
rt.com/news/477866-canada-trudeau-ukrain…
Trump confirms more sanctions against Iran, says Tehran plane crash may have been ‘mistake’
rt.com | 2020-01-09
President Donald Trump has announced fresh sanctions on Iran, a day after the Islamic Republic launched a missile attack on a pair of bases used by American troops in Iraq. Trump also called for a NATO presence in the Middle East. | …
rt.com/news/477852-trump-iran-sanctions-…
The Incoherence of U.S. Policy in the Middle East
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
Donald Trump’s decision to kill Qassim Suleimani, the most influential figure in Iran other than the Ayatollah Khamenei, will increase the terrorist threat to the United States and the global community. Suleimani’s death has already provoked widespread outrage in Iraq and Iran among the Shiia populations. Prior to the killing, Iraqi leaders were campaigning against Iran’s military presence in their country. Now, the Iraqi Parliament has called for the removal of the U.S. military presence.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/the-incohere…
Trump’s Awful, Dishonest Iran Speech
Daniel Larison | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Trump’s remarks this morning show that his Iran policy remains as blinkered and reckless as ever. Following the Iranian retaliation last night that caused no casualties, the president does not appear to be escalating the conflict further for the moment. …
globalresearch.ca/trump-awful-dishonest-…
Turkish & Pegasus airlines to resume flights to Iran, Iraq — report
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Turkish and Pegasus airlines will resume flights to Iran and Iraq on Thursday night, Reuters reported, citing company sources. The airlines halted flights for some 24 hours due to tensions between Iran and the United States. | Turkish Airlines will fly to Tehran out of Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport at 1805 GMT on Thursday, one source said. Pegasus Airlines will fly to Tehran at 2050 GMT out of the same airport, according to a second source. | Ankara has intensified diplomatic efforts “to alleviate the escalated tension in the aftermath of recent developments in the region.”
rt.com/newsline/477825-turkey-flights-ir…
Iran says it may need help from French or Canadian experts to decode data from ‘damaged’ black boxes
rt.com | 2020-01-09
The head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority has said his country might need outside help to decode the information recorded by the black boxes from the Ukrainian 737 plane that crashed on Wednesday near Tehran. | Ali Abedzadeh told CNN that, while Iran has the capacity to decode the black boxes from the Boeing passenger jet, it might still need extra help because they were badly damaged. | “Generally speaking, Iran has the potential and know-how to decode the black box. Everybody knows that,” he said, adding that Iranian and Ukrainian experts would begin decoding the data on Friday. | However, “if the availabl…
rt.com/news/477865-iran-black-boxes-dama…
Canadian, U.S. Officials Agree That Iran Likely Shot Down Jet
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
The strike, which killed all 176 people on board, may have been a mistake amid intentional airstrikes and high tensions in the region.
truthdig.com/articles/canadian-u-s-offic…
Iranian Messages Behind Attacking US Bases in Iraq and the Consequences
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Just after midnight local time today, Iranian ballistic missiles ” Fateh 313″ hit two military bases in Iraq that host a significant concentration of US forces, along with other allies. The Iranian direct hit was the retaliation for the …
globalresearch.ca/iranian-messages-behin…
Ukrainian plane didn’t call for help before crash, say Iran investigators
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-01-09
The crew of a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran didn’t make a radio call for help and were trying to turn back to the airport when it went down, according to an initial Iranian report.The report suggested a sudden emergency struck the Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines early on 8 January when it went down moments after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, killing 176 people.(PA Graphics)Witnesses, including the crew of a passing flight, described seeing the plane engulfed in flames before crashing, the report said. The crash caused a massive explosion when the…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/01/0…
The End of American Empire Won’t Be Pretty
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-09
Since the invasion of Iraq, the U.S. has been fighting a war of error across Africa and the Middle East. It will likely prove our demise.
truthdig.com/articles/the-end-of-america…
Steady Hand Joe – Turning Biden’s support for Iraq War into foreign policy ‘experience’
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-01-09
Election Focus 2020: Despite Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s prominent role in leading the US into the disastrous Iraq War, and his recent stream of lies and equivocations about why he supported it and when he began to reverse his position, many pundits continue to uncritically paint Biden as “mature” or a “steady hand” on foreign policy.
fair.org/home/steady-hand-joe/
Iraq PM Confirms Receiving ‘Signed’ US Pullout Letter. Has Washington decided upon Withdrawal?
Press TV | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
The following report by Press TV is yet to be confirmed. | The AFP said it had received a copy of the letter late Monday and verified its authenticity with both US and Iraqi officials, the agency added. | This occurred prior …
globalresearch.ca/iraq-pm-confirms-recei…
This Year the Minimum Wage Can be Raised in the Majority of States
Nick Licata | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
The 2020 new year marks an historic landmark for dramatically improving many people’s living standards by increasing the minimum hourly wage. According to David Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute, nearly 7 million workers will start the new year with higher wages. This is not due to Trump’s tax cut which reduced the corporate income…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/this-year-th…
Cutting Off the Lifelines of North Koreans? That’s Called a Siege, Not “Sanctions”
Joseph Essertier | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
Last winter, Patrick Cockburn called attention to one of the more disturbing effects of the sanctions against North Korea–their “ghost ships” (in “It’s Time We Saw Economic Sanctions for What They Really Are–War Crimes” . Over the past several years, fishing vessels have been washing up on the western shores of Northeastern Japan in larger…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/cutting-off-…
US Regional Presence Makes Middle East Peace and Stability Unattainable
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
As long as tens of thousands of US combat troops, heavy weapons, and its jihadist proxies remain active in Middle East (ME) countries, a perpetual state of war will exist — peace, stability and security to be unattainable. | That’s the …
globalresearch.ca/us-regional-presence-m…
Denmark better keep an eye on ‘unpredictable’ US as Russia only wants stability in the Arctic — study
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Russian military assets in the Arctic are now mainly of defensive nature, but aggressive moves by the US and NATO may change that, and see Moscow sending more forces to the region, a top Danish think tank warned. | “Moscow still considers stability in the region a key factor in the development of the Russian Arctic as a strategically important resource base. Therefore, Russia is interested in the Arctic remaining a ‘zone of peace and cooperation,” a fresh report by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), which was seen by RT, read. | But with the rivalry of superpowers — the US, Russia and…
rt.com/news/477839-denmark-us-russia-arc…
Warrior Trump Seeking Peace? Permanent War Remains Official US Policy
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
Throughout…
globalresearch.ca/warrior-trump-seeking-…
Libya’s Tripoli-based govt ‘welcomes’ ceasefire calls
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Libya’s UN-supported government has welcomed Russian and Turkish calls for a ceasefire amid the ongoing civil war, AP reports. The Tripoli-based government led by PM Fayez al-Sarraj released a statement late Wednesday, expressing its full support of “any serious calls for the resumption of the political process and the elimination of the specter of war.” | Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a joint statement after a meeting in Istanbul, calling for a January 12 ceasefire in the battles between forces loyal to Sarraj’s government and Khalifa Haftar’s easte…
rt.com/newsline/477844-libya-ceasefire-c…
Kinzhal hypersonic and Kalibr cruise missiles fired during massive Russian Navy drills in the Black Sea (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-09
More than 30 warships and 40 aircraft got together for a major joint exercise of Russia’s Black Sea and Northern Fleets, providing for a chance to see some of the country’s most hyped weapons in action. | Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from two types of platforms during the drills in the Black Sea. The crews of Admiral Grigorovich frigate and Orekhovo-Zuevo small missile ship performed a surface firing, while Kolpino submarine launched a Kalibr from underwater. Those missiles were already used in actual combat, proving its efficiency during the Russian anti-terrorist operation in Syria. | A duo of MiG…
rt.com/russia/477838-russia-navy-kalibr-…
Ceasefire Deal Reached in Syria’s Idlib: Russia
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
A new ceasefire has been established in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib today after the Russian and Turkish armed forces reached an agreement to halt the hostilities between the Syrian warring parties, the TASS News Agency reported. | RELATED: | Russia’s Putin Travels to Syria to Meet With Assad | “According to the agreements with the Turkish side, the ceasefire regime was introduced in the Idlib de-escalation zone starting from 14.00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) on Jan. 9 2020,” Russian…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ceasefire-Deal-R…
WADA petitions world’s highest sports court to resolve doping row with Russia
rt.com | 2020-01-09
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has asked a top sports arbitration court to make a ruling on a four-year sporting ban it imposed on Russia last month over allegations of doctored lab data. | WADA announced on Thursday that it would send the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, the world’s highest sports court, after Russia’s doping watchdog (RUSADA) disputed the four-year ban in late December. | t.co/UvDFZ0EGtz– WADA (@wada_ama)
Major fire engulfs Russian oil refinery after two loud bangs (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-09
One person was injured and thousands evacuated as a huge blaze occurred at an oil refinery in the Republic of Komi west of the Ural Mountains. The fire and a column of thick black smoke could be seen for kilometers around. | …
rt.com/russia/477849-ukhta-oil-plant-fir…
Kane KO: Spurs reveal extent of Harry Kane layoff as injury poses major headache for Mourinho
rt.com | 2020-01-09
Tottenham Hotspur and England forward Harry Kane will be sidelined until at least April as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the London club have said, in what will be a major headache for boss Jose Mourinho. | Kane hobbled off during Spurs’ 1-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day. | The Londoners have now confirmed the extent of the injury, saying the England man — who has netted 17 times in 25 club appearances this season — will be forced to undergo surgery for a ruptured tendon. | “Following ongoing assessment by our medical staff over the past week, we can confirm that Harry Kane will unde…
rt.com/sport/477860-harry-kane-injury-sp…
‘Venezuela Won’t Allow US Meddling in Elections’ Arreaza Warns
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza Thursday denounced that the U.S. government is promoting a plan to intervene in the elections of the National Assembly to be held in 2020. | RELATED: | Venezuela Urges the US to Abide by International Law | During his press conference, Arreaza unveiled a diplomatic note that the U.S. government sent to several coun…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Wont-A…
International Criminal Court Prepares to Try Israelis over War Crimes
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-01-09
Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.
therealnews.com/stories/international-cr…
Government suggests that Northern Rail failure could pave way for renationalisation
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2020-01-09
The government has revealed that the Northern Rail franchise could potentially face renationalisation within “a number of months”, according to the most recent financial information. | Government intervention is an option: | Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that he is evaluating a proposal from the train operator on options for continuing its franchise, stressing that: Following completion of this process I will consider whether to award ARN (Arriva Rail North) a short-term management contract or whether to ask the Department of Transport’s own operator of last resort to step in and deliver passe…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/01/09/governme…
Trump to World: Happy New Year!
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
By now, anyone who expected Donald Trump to keep his campaign promises has figured out that isn’t going to happen. Unfortunately, one of the things the serial liar in the Oval Office made a big deal about back in 2016 was getting us out of our endless and win-less wars scattered across the globe. Instead,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/trump-to-wor…
How Trump’s Trade War Is Making Lobbyists Rich and Slamming Small Businesses
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
Mike Elrod voted for Donald Trump in 2016, hoping for a break from tight government oversight that his business had endured for years, which he often found unreasonable. | “There was a time when every day I dreaded opening the mail,” said Elrod, who founded a small firm in South Carolina called Eccotemp that makes energy-efficient, tankless water heaters. “The Department of Energy would put in an arbitrary rule and then come back the next day and say, ‘You’re not in compliance.’ We had no inpu…
truthout.org/articles/how-trumps-trade-w…
Harness the Power of Your Discontent
John W. Whitehead | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
“The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people. The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government will fix everything. We are the government.” –John Lennon Twenty years into the 21st century,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/harness-the-…
‘Alien baby’: Internet shook by ‘pregnancy announcement’ from Elon Musk’s girlfriend Grimes
rt.com | 2020-01-09
What appears to be a strange pregnancy announcement by Grimes, the musician girlfriend of billionaire Elon Musk, has not gone down well on Twitter, with one user jokingly speculating that the couple might produce “the antichrist.” | The internet was at pains to process the news after Grimes posted a picture of what seems to be her baby bump with an image of a fetus photoshopped onto it. “Being knocked up is a very feral & war-like state of being,” she wrote in the Instagram post. | The couple, who have been dating since 2018, are generally seen as a fairly odd pairing. The idea of Grimes, with her reputatio…
rt.com/usa/477853-grimes-musk-baby-annou…
“Clemency:” Exposing the Machinery of Death
Stephen Rohde | aclu.org | 2020-01-09
People on death | row are the direct object of a deeply flawed system of state killing that is infected | by racial and economic disparities and riddled with fatal errors. We currently | know of at least 166 | innocent people who were wrongfully condemned to die. | “Clemency,” a new film starring Alfre Woodard as a prison | warden, explores the brutalizing effect the death penalty has on everyone else | in the system — the wardens, prison guards, chaplains, defense lawyers, and | their families, as well as the families of the victims…
aclu.org/news/capital-punishment/clemenc…
A Report Card on the American Project
Andrew Bacevich | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
Thirty years ago this month, President George H.W. Bush appeared before a joint session of Congress to deliver his first State of the Union Address, the first post-Cold War observance of this annual ritual. Just weeks before, the Berlin Wall had fallen. That event, the president declared,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/a-report-car…
At the Golden Globes awards ceremony: Comic Ricky Gervais causes a stir
wsws.org | 2020-01-09
Gervais ruffled some feathers in Hollywood and the media, most of which deserved to be ruffled, on Sunday night at the Golden Globes awards ceremony.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/09/gerv…
The Pentagon Is the Only Winner in the “Global War on Terror”
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
Yes, our infrastructure stinks, our schools are failing, this country’s a nightmare of inequality, and there’s a self-promoting president in the White…
truthout.org/articles/the-pentagon-is-th…
Battleground Niger: Almost 90 people dead in jihadi attack on army base
rt.com | 2020-01-09
More than two dozen soldiers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack on an army base in Niger, near the border with Mali. 63 attackers also died in the onslaught. | The attack took place at Chinagodrar on Thursday, and is the latest in a slew of terror attacks on the Nigerien army on the country’s western border. Nigerien Defense Department spokesman Colonel Souleymane Gazobi blamed the attack on “terrorist elements.” | Also on rt.com | | Dozens of soldiers killed in attack on military base in Niger — officials | The attack comes a m…
rt.com/news/477870-terrorist-attack-base…
Brazilian Judge Orders Netflix to Stop Showing Gay Jesus Movie
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
The video streaming giant Netflix has been ordered by a Brazilian judge to halt the showing of a controversial movie that depicts Jesus as a gay man. | RELATED: | Brazil: Lula Criticized Bolsonaro’s Servility to Washington | According to court documents made public on Wednesday, a Brazlian judge ruled that Netflix was in violation of Brazilian law, pointing out that “the right to freedom of expression … is not absolute.” | The show, which is called “The Last Temptation of Christ”
telesurenglish.net/news/Brazilian-Judge-…
Inadequate government relief for Australian bushfire victims
wsws.org | 2020-01-09
With his government under siege, Prime Minister Morrison announced that $2 billion in assistance will be provided over the next two years.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/09/fire…
France Faces Another Nationwide Strike Against Pension Reform
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-09
French workers, professors, teachers, doctors, nurses, and lawyers Thursday disrupted rail services, shut schools and brought demonstrators onto the streets in a make-or-break push to force President Emmanuel Macron to abandon his planned pension reform. | RELATED: | Rail Strike Becomes Longest in France’s History Since May 1968 | Over the last week, the…
telesurenglish.net/news/France-Faces-Ano…
Democracy in America: Six Lessons to Live By in 2020
Thomas M. Magstadt | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
The start of a new year and a new decade is normally an occasion for reflection, but there is nothing normal about 2020. America will decide whether or not to give Donald Trump four more years in the White House. The choice voters make will be historic. Quite possibly a tipping point. What follows are some lessons,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/democracy-in…
The Seven Square Inches Making Us Lots More Unequal
Sam Pizzigati | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
What happens when we use our credit cards? We all think we know. We charge a purchase on our card, we incur a debt. If we pay off that debt within a month, we face no interest charge. End of story. Not quite. Something else important is happening whenever we make a credit card charge:…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/the-seven-sq…
More “Narcissism of Small Differences”
Clark T. Scott | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-09
The above phrase by Sigmund Freud seems to sum up the central method of how humanity is destined to destroy itself. It seems to be an inevitable trait which is tied to our basic feelings of insecurity and our need to delineate our individual and community identity as a means of overcoming the feelings of…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/09/more-narciss…
Uyghurs and Other Muslims Forced to Labor in Chinese Factories
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-09
In China, a shocking new exposé has revealed that Chinese authorities are systematically forcing Muslims — mostly Uyghurs and Kazakhs — into labor programs to supply Chinese factories with a cheap and compliant workforce. The New York Times investigation, based on official documents, interviews and visits to the far-western region of Xinjiang, reveals a sweeping program to push poor farmers, villagers and small traders into sometimes months-long training courses before assigning them to low-wage f…
truthout.org/video/uyghurs-and-other-mus…
2019 Was the Year the Truth No Longer Mattered
Johanna Ross | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
New Year happens to be one of these rare moments in the news business when we pause to reflect on the greater context of the endless stories spouted out on a daily basis by an ever-growing variety of media platforms. …
globalresearch.ca/2019-truth-no-longer-m…
Trump to De-Escalate: Intelligence Source
Pepe Escobar | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
“It is most unlikely Trump will escalate at this point, and this could provide him with the opportunity to leave the Middle East except for the Gulf States. Trump wants to get out,” a U.S. intelligence source says. | *** | President …
globalresearch.ca/trump-de-escalate-inte…
Racism and the Origins of the United States of America, “The Joker” and the End of White Supremacy
Franklin Frederick | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
´At its root, capitalism not only meant slavery and white supremacy but also the ethos of the gangster. ª Gerald Horne | The film ‘Joker’ presents a contemporary phenomenon present in several countries, but which can only be understood in its …
globalresearch.ca/racism-and-the-origins…
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is Determined You Will Have 5G Telecom Technology
Richard Gale | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-09
For the average American, bills that are introduced into state legislatures, especially those with bipartisan support, generally become the law of the state. But how often does the average citizen of any state review the bills in different committees or …
globalresearch.ca/alec-determined-5g/570…
Israeli Bar Association Revokes License of Palestinian Lawyer
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-09
On Tuesday, the family of Palestinian lawyer, Tareq Barghouth, 44, received a decision to withdraw his license to practice the profession, Quds News Network reported. The decision was issued by the Israeli Bar Association, which requires the withdrawal of the license to practice law from Barghouth, on the pretext that …
imemc.org/article/israeli-bar-associatio…
Palestinian Prisoner Continues to Suffer Torture in Israeli Prison
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-09
The Committee of Prisoners and Former Prisoners Affairs said that Samer Arbid, 44, from Ramallah suffers from signs of extreme torture, to which he was subjected during interrogation in Israeli jails, Quds News Network reported. The committee said in a statement on Wednesday that Arbid is held now in the …
imemc.org/article/palestinian-prisoner-c…
PPS: Israeli Forces Arrest Fifteen Palestinians Including Mother of Prisoner
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-09
Israeli forces detained fifteen Palestinians, on Wednesday, from across the West Bank, including a woman from occupied Jerusalem and a senior member of Fatah movement, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. A statement released by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said that Israeli forces detained Sana Rajabi, from …
imemc.org/article/pps-israeli-forces-arr…