(2018-12-05). Criminal History: BCCI, the Bushes … and Mueller. counterpunch.org 
As the newly dead George Herbert Walker Bush luxuriates in the accolades of America's bipartisan political/media establishment, I thought it meet to look again at the article below, which I wrote in 2006, detailing one of the great glories of his great and glorious reign: the thwarting of the investigation into BCCI, "one of the More
(2018-12-05). Trump's Timidity is Letting Comey Off the Hook. consortiumnews.com With just a few days left before Congress adjourns, House Republicans, like their President, have pretty much let the clock run out. There's little chance now in "taking on the intelligence community," says Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to… Read more →
(2018-12-05). Bin Salman Is Finally Losing Support From Key GOP Senators. truthdig.com Reactions to a secret briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel suggest the Saudi crown prince will face consequences for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder.
(2018-12-05). From George 1 to George 2. counterpunch.org Dear Jeffrey, I came upon this letter while searching through my junk mail file. I have no idea how it got there unless the FBI or CIA were combing files under the Patriot Act and this got misplaced. But it is a curious piece, both because it comes from George the First and because it More
(2018-12-05). Mueller Urges That Flynn Receive No Prison Time. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's former national security adviser provided so much information to the special counsel's Russia investigation that prosecutors say he shouldn't do any prison time, according to a court filing that describes Michael Flynn's cooperation as "substantial." | The filing by special counsel Robert Mueller provides the first details of Flynn's assistance in the Russia investigation, including that he participated in 19 interviews with prosecutors and cooperated extensively in a separate and undisclosed criminal probe. But the filing's lengthy redactions also underscore how much M…
(2018-12-05). Putin Says If U.S. Builds Missiles, So Will Russia. truthdig.com MOSCOW — The Latest on US-Russian confrontations over a key arms treaty (all times local): | 2: 50 p.m. | Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States that if it walks out of a key arms treaty and starts developing the type of missiles banned by it, Russia will do the same. | Putin's remarks to Russian news agencies on Wednesday came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced at a NATO meeting that Washington will suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 60 days, citing Russian "cheating." Russia has denied that it has been violating…
(2018-12-05). Ecuador's Moreno Met Manafort, Discussed Handing Over Assange to US: Report. telesurenglish.net An NY Times report revealed that the Ecuadorean President tried to bargain Assange in exchange of debt relief from the U.S. with felon Paul Manafort.
(2018-12-05). Public Forum: The Indictment of Julian Assange, The Corporate Media and Left Media. indybay.org 518 Valencia St/16th St. | Near 16th St. BART San Francisco, California…
(2018-12-05). Rand Paul Rages: "The Deep State Is Trying to Run Congress" theantimedia.com 
(ZHE) — CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leaders of multiple Senate committees Tuesday about the October murder of Jamal Khashoggi. While I will not discuss the content of the Haspel briefing, it reinforced the need for a strong response to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. CIA Director Haspel should brief the full Senate without delay. — Chuck …
(2018-12-05). US Senators Leave CIA Meeting Convinced Saudi Crown Prince MBS Killed Khashoggi. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — Two US Republican senators have emerged from a meeting with CIA Director Gina Haspel on Tuesday saying it's clearer than ever that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US Senator Lindsey Graham said on Tuesday that bin Salman, known as MBS, is "complicit" in the killing of Khashoggi. …
(2018-12-05). US Ultimatum Given to Russia: Comply With Nuclear Treaty in 60 Days or Else. theantimedia.com 
(ANTIWAR.COM) — After years of claiming Russia is violating the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Tuesday that the US is giving Russia 60 days to comply with the deal. The big obstacle to this is, despite the US making such allegations for several years, and getting NATO to endorse their …
(2018-12-05). Republican senators say "zero question" Saudi prince ordered Khashoggi assassination. wsws.org A closed-door briefing Tuesday by CIA Director Gina Haspel confirmed Mohamed bin Salman's responsibility for the murder of the Saudi journalist.
(2018-12-05). Drones over Manhattan: NYPD takes flight, but says it's not for spying. rt.com 
The New York Police Department is taking to the skies with a drone program, much to the dismay of civil liberties groups who worry the force's 14 new unmanned vehicles will be used to spy on New Yorkers with impunity.
(2018-12-05). Pompeo Says Iran, China, And Russia Causing Global Instability. iranian.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has criticized China, Iran, and Russia for violating numerous treaties and multistate agreements. In a foreign policy speech to the German Marshall Fund in Brussels on December 4 ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Pompeo said recent moves by the three countries have caused instability in the […]
(2018-12-04). The Long, Brutal US War on Children in the Middle East. truthout.org On November 28, sixty-three US Senators voted in favor of holding a floor debate on a resolution calling for an end to direct US Armed Forces involvement in the Saudi-UAE coalition-led war on Yemen. Describing the vote as a rebuke to Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration, AP reported on Senate dissatisfaction over the administration's response to Saudi Arabia's brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi last month. Just before the Senate vote, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo …
(2018-12-04). Headlines for December 4, 2018. democracynow.org Wisconsin: Protesters Take to the Capitol to Oppose GOP Power Grab, North Carolina Investigating Election Fraud in Congressional Race, Trump Praises Stone for Refusal to Testify in Mueller Probe, CIA Director Haspel to Brief Top Senators on Khashoggi Murder, Spain: Far-Right Vox Party Makes Gains in Regional Elections, France: Fuel Tax Hikes Suspended Amid Growing Unrest, Qatar Withdraws from OPEC, Mexico's AMLO Creates Truth Commission over 2014 Student Disappearance, Philippines: Indicted Rappler Editor Posts Bail, Vows to Keep Reporting, Reports: U.S Admiral in Middle East Died by Suicide, Texas: Calls Grow to…
(2018-12-04). Top Ecuadorian Diplomat Destroys Guardian's Claim that Manafort Visited Assange. globalresearch.ca A former consul and first secretary at the Ecuadorian embassy in London has put the final nail in the coffin of credibility for The Guardian, refuting the paper's fantastical and wholly unsupported claim that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort…
(2018-12-04). The Guardian's Vilification of Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com The Guardian did not make a mistake in vilifying Assange without a shred of evidence. It did what it is designed to do, says Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook Johanthan-Cook.net It is welcome that finally there has been a little… Read more →
(2018-12-04). Ariel Dorfman: George H.W. Bush Is Alive in His Many Victims Across the Globe, Including Me. democracynow.org 
George H.W. Bush was the only president in U.S. history to serve as CIA director, a role that would come to define his career and politics. He once described the intelligence agency as "part of my heartbeat." Bush Sr. was at the helm of the CIA from January 1976 to January 1977. We speak with Ariel Dorfman, best-selling author, playwright, poet and activist, who teaches at Duke University. In 1973, he served as a cultural adviser to Chilean President Salvador Allende's chief of staff. He says George H.W. Bush was "presiding over the CIA when Pinochet, the dictator of Chile, had concentration camps open. They were…
(2018-12-04). New Clues Link Trump Inauguration Funds to Dark Money. truthout.org Notorious "dark money" conduit Wellspring Committee gave $14.8 million to the primary spender on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation and paid $919,900 to the mysterious LLC that made a $1 million donation to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee, according to a new tax return obtained Nov. 27 by the Center for Responsive Politics. | Wellspring has acted as a conduit for large contributions from secretive donors since it was set up,…
(2018-12-04). The Effects of the Muslim Ban One Year Later. aclu.org We've had one year of the Muslim ban. Congress must ensure it's the last. | Exactly one year ago today, the Supreme Court allowed the full implementation of Trump's Muslim ban. It would be months still before it heard oral arguments in Hawaii v. Trump and issued its ruling on June 26, allowing the ban to remain in place. But on Dec. 4, 2017, America began to ban millions of Muslims from the United States, even if they have family members, jobs, academic spots, or other compelling connections here, and even if they would otherwise be fully…
(2018-12-04). 'Smoking saw': After CIA briefing, Senators confident MBS behind Khashoggi killing. rt.com 
A secret briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel seems to have solidified the belief of several senators that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is personally responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
(2018-12-04). Iran's Missile Test: A Provocation, Not A Violation. iranian.com Iran's reported test of a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) on December 1 gave its enemies further ammunition in their vitriolic campaign against the regime. But in exaggerating the offense, the Trump administration has undermined its case. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the missile launch, claiming, incorrectly, that it was a violation of UN Security […]
(2018-12-04). U.S. Urges Europe To Impose Sanctions On Iran Over Missiles. iranian.com The Trump administration is urging Europe to impose tough new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program. The call comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to meet European officials in Brussels this week and after the U.S. and others condemned an Iranian missile launch over the weekend. Iran is expected to be […]
(2018-12-03). Mehdi Hasan on George H.W. Bush's Ignored Legacy: War Crimes, Racism and Obstruction of Justice. democracynow.org 
George H.W. Bush died in Houston on Friday night at the age of 94. Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States in 1988, becoming the first and only former CIA director to lead the country. He served as Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. Since Bush's death, the media has honored the former president by focusing on his years of service and his call as president for a kinder, gentler America. But the headlines have largely glossed over and ignored other parts of Bush's legacy. We look at the 1991 Gulf War, Bush's pardoning of six Reagan officials involved in the Iran-Contra scandal and ho…
(2018-12-03). The Government Is Trying to Keep Key NSA Spying Rules Secret. aclu.org We're telling a federal appeals court that democracy has no room for secret law on surveillance of Americans. | A federal appeals court in New York will hear oral argument on Tuesday in our lawsuit fighting for the public's right to know the legal justifications for government spying. | The Freedom of Information Act suit seeks the release of secret memos written by government lawyers that provided the foundation for the warrantless surveillance of Americans' international communications. In essence, these memos serve as the law that gove…
(2018-12-03). Misreporting Manafort: A Case Study in Journalistic Malpractice. fair.org 
The Guardian ( 11/27/18) added "sources say" to the headline after publication. | In what has been described as potentially the biggest story of the year, the Guardian's Luke Harding ( 11/27/18) reported last week that Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, he…
(2018-12-01). George H.W. Bush, the CIA and a Case of State-Sponsored Terrorism. consortiumnews.com Forty-two years ago, a car-bomb exploded in Washington killing Chile's ex-Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier, an act of state terrorism that the CIA and its director George H.W. Bush tried to cover up, Robert Parry reported on Sept. 23, 2000. By… Read more →
(2018-12-01). The Guardian/Politico Psyop Against WikiLeaks. consortiumnews.com The claims made by Luke Harding and The Guardian that Assange met Manafort will never be proven true, and they know it. And we should never let them forget it, says Caitlin Johnstone. By Caitlin Johnstone Caitlinjohnstone.com For the first few hours… Read more →
(2018-11-29). Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski Wins 2018 Sam Adams Award. consortiumnews.com Karen Kwiatkowski has won the 2018 Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence award for trying to stop the "shock and awe" attack on Iraq. Kwiatkowski is featured in the film "Shock and Awe" to be shown at an awards ceremony Saturday…. Read more →
(2018-11-29). On Julian Assange and the Political Economy & future of Europe. zcomm.org Interview on the socio-economic transformations taking place within the core of the European Union and how much time is left until it disintegrates…
(2018-11-29). We're Suing the CIA to Find the Body of a Torture Victim. aclu.org 
The U.S. government's obsessive secrecy has deprived a man's family of basic dignity and closure. | In November 2002, the CIA tortured Gul Rahman to death in a secret prison in Afghanistan. Sixteen years later, Rahman's family is still desperately trying to find out what the CIA did to his body. | To date, the CIA has told his loved ones nothing, and his daughter cannot even give her father a decent burial. | That same month, Gina Haspel oversaw the torture of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri at a CIA black site in Tha…
(2018-11-29). In a Historic First, Senate Advances Bill to End U.S. Support for Illegal War in Yemen. democracynow.org 
The Senate voted Wednesday to advance a resolution to end military support for the Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the Senate has voted to advance a bill to withdraw military forces from an unauthorized war using the War Powers Resolution Act. Wednesday's vote sets the stage for a possible final vote on the measure within days, and has been seen as a rebuke of President Trump's handling of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Just hours before the vote, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis held a closed-door briefing with U.S. sen…
(2018-11-29). Headlines for November 29, 2018. democracynow.org Senate Votes to Advance Resolution to End War in Yemen, White House Blocks CIA Director From Briefing Senate on Khashoggi Murder, Senate Blocks Vote to Protect Special Counsel Mueller's Probe, Trump: A Pardon for Ex-Campaign Chair Manafort is "Not Off The Table", Tension Escalates Between Russia & Ukraine, Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Who Worked to Suppress Black Votes, House Dems Nominate Rep. Pelosi for House Speaker, Afghanistan: U.S. Airstrikes Kill at Least 30 Civilians, U.N. Report: Malnutrition On the Rise Worldwide, Public Outrage After Right-Wing Sinclair Airs Anti-Immigrant Piece, Senate Delays Vote…
(2018-11-26). Crucifying Julian Assange. zcomm.org Chris Hedges and Joe Lauria, journalist and editor-in-chief, Consortium, discuss efforts to force #WikiLeaks publisher, #JulianAssange, out of the Ecuador Embassy in London and extradite him to the USA to stand trial.
(2018-11-26). The Supreme Court Can Put a Stop to Excessive Fines on Children. progressive.org A 13-year-old boy spent three months in a juvenile facility — including time in solitary confinement — because he could not pay a $500 fine for skipping school.