(2018-12-07). Ecuadorian Ex-Diplomat: Report Claiming Assange Met Manafort Is False. therealnews.com 
The Guardian report claiming WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange met with Paul Manafort is fake news, says the former consul in Ecuador's London embassy, Fidel Narváez. But it is true that Trump's ex-campaign chairman met with new Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to discuss handing Assange over to the US.
(2018-12-07). Jury fails to agree on verdict in trial of Kurdish journalist. greenleft.org.au 
NSW Supreme Court judge Lucy McCallum discharged the jury on December 6 after it failed to agree on a verdict in the trial of Kurdish journalist Renas Lelikan on "foreign fighter" charges under Australia's draconian "anti-terrorism" laws. | Lelikan denied this charge, insisting he was not a combatant but a journalist reporting on the Kurdish liberation struggle. | A hearing on February 15, 2019 will be told if the prosecution intends to ask for a re-trial. Lelikan remains free on bail, with relaxed conditions. | The case had been going on for nine weeks, four of which have been taken up with the jury's deliberati…
(2018-12-06). The Bomb That Did Not Detonate: Julian Assange, Manafort and The Guardian. globalresearch.ca "This is going to be one of the most infamous news disasters since Stern published the 'Hitler Diaries.'" — WikiLeaks, Twitter, Nov 27, 2018 | Those at The Guardian certainly felt they were onto something. It would be a scoop …
(2018-12-06). Headlines for December 6, 2018. democracynow.org Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rise to Record High in 2018, WHO Says Meeting Paris Climate Goal Would Save Millions of Lives, Quebec Youth Sue Canada, Citing Gross Negligence on Climate Change, Barclays Customers Demand Divestment from Tar Sands Pipelines, George H.W. Bush Remembered at Washington National Cathedral, Canada Arrests Huawei Executive for Extradition to U.S., Trump Praises Chinese Death Penalty for Drug Dealers, Wisconsin Republicans Complete Legislative Power Grab, Michigan Republicans Move to Limit Power of Incoming Democratic Leaders, NYT: Paul Manafort Discussed Deal to Seize Julian Assange, Sa…
(2018-12-06). 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…
(2018-12-06). Artificial Intelligence Experts Issue Urgent Warning Against Facial Scanning With a "Dangerous History" theintercept.com Facial recognition has quickly shifted from techno-novelty to fact of life for many, with millions around the world at least willing to put up with their faces scanned by software at the airport, their iPhones, or Facebook's server farms. But researchers at New York University's AI Now Institute have issued a strong warning against not only ubiquitous facial recognition, but its more sinister cousin: so-called affect recognition, technology that claims it can find hidden meaning in the shape of your nose, the contours of your mouth, and the way you smile. If that sounds like something dredged up from the 19th cen…
(2018-12-06). US demands Russia 'end or modify' missile it doesn't like to save INF treaty. rt.com 
Washington is demanding that Moscow scrap or modify a missile dubbed "non-compliant" with the landmark INF nuclear arms treaty by US intelligence. Russia has repeatedly said the missile falls well within the range allowed.
(2018-12-06). Special Counsel sentencing memo on Flynn increases pressure on Trump. wsws.org Repeating several times in the course of the 13-page filing that Flynn had provided "substantial assistance to the government," Special Counsel Mueller recommended a sentence with no jail time.
(2018-12-06). The Guardian attack on Assange exposed as politically-motivated fabrication. wsws.org The lack of any case against WikiLeaks explains the scurrilous allegations by the Guardian newspaper last week.
(2018-12-05). Headlines for December 5, 2018. democracynow.org Senators Say Crown Prince Is Guilty in Khashoggi Murder After CIA Briefing, Mueller Not Seeking Jail Time for Flynn, Cites "Substantial Assistance", Politico: NRCC Emails Hacked in 2018 Midterms, Georgia Voters Elect Republican Secretary of State, Congressmembers Call for Labor Sec. Acosta Probe over Epstein Plea Deal, DOJ Senior Official Allowed to Get Away with Sexual Assault, Federal Gov. Shuts Down for Nat'l Day of Mourning, Somalia: U.S. Reopens Permanent Diplomatic Presence, Pompeo Gives Russia 60 Days to Comply with Nuclear Treaty, West Bank: Israeli Forces Kill Disabled Palestinian in Overnight Raid, Moro…
(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 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 largest criminal More
(2018-12-05). Saudi Crown Prince Loses Support of Key Republican Senators with CIA Briefing. mintpressnews.com Among the things Saudi Arabia wants from the United States is support for its war on Yemen and permission to buy from US arms corporations state-of-the-art military weaponry. Both things are now in peril, as key Republican senators reacted to a secret briefing by Gina Haspel, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. | Haspel gave her presentation to only 8, arbitrarily chosen senators. They included outgoing Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) and the senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham (R-SC), b…
(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). Misreporting Manafort and Assange: A Case Study in Journalistic Malpractice. theantimedia.com 
(FAIR) — 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, held a series of secret talks with WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange. These meetings were said to have occurred inside the Ecuadorian embassy between 2013 and 2016. The report also mentions that unspecified …
(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.
(2018-12-04). 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). Greg Grandin: George H.W. Bush's 1989 Invasion of Panama Set the Stage for U.S. Wars to Come. democracynow.org 
The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped wit…
(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). 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). 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…
(2018-12-03). 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). 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). 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). 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 →
(2018-12-01). 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 →
(2018-11-29). 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). 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…
(2018-11-29). 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. sena…
(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.