William Barr's Deep State Resume: Cover-Ups, Covert Ops, and Pardons
Jefferson Morley | commondreams.org | 2019-01-16
In all three cover-ups, Barr sacrificed the interests of transparency and accountability to the political needs of Langley and the White House. (Photo: Fox Business/Screengrab) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/foxbusiness.jpeg…
commondreams.org/views/2019/01/16/william-barrs-deep-state-resume-cover-ups-covert-ops-and-pardons?cd-origin=rss
Barr says he'll decide whether anyone sees Mueller report
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2019-01-16
WASHINGTON–Claiming "I will not be bullied," William Barr, President Trump's nominee for the post of attorney general, said he would let Special Counsel Robert Mueller finish his investigation and that he would not follow orders to fire Mueller–unless there was "cause." Citing what he called Justice Department regulations, Barr said he would not expect the …
peoplesworld.org/article/barr-says-hell-decide-whether-anyone-sees-mueller-report/
United States Doesn't Even Make Top 20 on Global Democracy Index
Andrea Germanos | mintpressnews.com | 2019-01-16
A new index released this week offers a sobering look at how democracy is faring in the United States. | According to the 2018 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, the U.S. doesn't even make the list of top 20–its demonstrably "flawed democracy" notching it the 25th spot. | The ranking is based on 60 indicators spanning five interrelated categories: electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture. Each category gets a 0-10 score, with the final s…
mintpressnews.com/united-states-democracy-index/253917/
AG Nominee Barr Set Up "HIV Concentration Camp," Supported President's Unilateral War Powers
Alexander Rubinstein | mintpressnews.com | 2019-01-16
Democrats are hammering Barr over an unsolicited memo he wrote to the president that slammed the Mueller probe as "fatally misconceived," while paying far less attention to far more troubling pieces of information about his past. | The post AG Nominee Barr Set Up "HIV Concentration Camp," Supported President's Unilateral War Powers appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/william-barr-nominee/253926/
Trump's Attorney General Nominee: 'I Will Not Be Bullied'
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-01-16
William Barr's comments at his Senate hearing veer from the president's views, but skepticism remains over his memo on the Mueller inquiry. | The post Trump's Attorney General Nominee: 'I Will Not Be Bullied' appeared first on Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists.
truthdig.com/articles/trumps-attorney-general-nominee-i-will-not-be-bullied/
Was that the Onion or Reuters Quoting Mike Pompeo on Venezuela?
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2019-01-16
This Reuters article says "The Maduro regime is illegitimate and the United States will work diligently to restore a real democracy to that country," Pompeo told reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he is on a tour of Middle East countries. " [emphasis added] The Onion might have simply changed "countries" above to "dictatorships" or, Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/was-that-the-onion-or-reuters-quoting-mike-pompeo-on-venezuela/
German Intelligence Expands Monitoring of AfD Extremist Actions
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-01-16
German intelligence agency BfV is set to intensify monitoring of far-right group Alternative for Germany (AfD) for their involvement in extremist activities, which according to media reports, could damage the parties reputation during an important election year. | RELATED: | Fears of '2nd Chemnitz' as Afghans Held Over German Man's Death | The head of the…
telesurenglish.net/news/German-Intelligence-Expands-Monitoring-of-AfD-Extremist-Actions-20190116-0003.html
Trump, Bolton and the Syrian Confusion
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-01-16
It's a messy, though typical picture. US President Donald Trump wants to pull out forces in Syria. When announced in December, jaws drooped and sharp intakes of breath were registered through the Washington establishment. Members of the military industrial complex were none too pleased. The President had seemingly made his case clear: US blood and…
counterpunch.org/2019/01/16/trump-bolton-and-the-syrian-confusion/
Will Trump's AG Pick William Barr Face Questions over Gitmo, Mass Incarceration & NSA Surveillance?
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-15
Senate confirmation hearings begin today for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions, who was fired in November. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain HIV-positive asylum seekers from Haiti. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/15/will_trumps_ag_pick_william_barr
Media Reports "Good News": Kids Are Dying in Venezuela, Sanctions are Working
David William Pear | globalresearch.ca | 2019-01-15
The Guardian's Tom Phillips' article Venezuela Crisis Takes Deadly Toll on Buckling Health System (January 06, 2019) is more good news for US psychopaths, such as Trump, Bolton and Pompeo. Children are dying in Venezuela. Sanctions are working! | Tom is … | The post Media Reports "Good News": Kids Are Dying in Venezuela, Sanctions are Working… appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/media-reports-good-news-kids-are-dying-in-venezuela-sanctions-are-working/5665440
Yemen's Houthis Refute Pompeo's Accusations of Hodeida Truce Violations
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-01-15
The Houthis boycotted a meeting chaired by the head of a UN-led ceasefire monitoring team in Hodeida, accusing the head of the team of pursuing a Saudi coalition agenda. | The post Yemen's Houthis Refute Pompeo's Accusations of Hodeida Truce Violations appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/yemen-houthis-refute-pompeo-accusations-of-hodeida-truce-violations/253895/
Trump, Bolton and the Syrian Confusion
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2019-01-15
It's a messy, though typical picture. US President Donald Trump wants to pull out forces in Syria. When announced in December, jaws drooped and sharp intakes of breath were registered through the Washington establishment. Members of the military industrial complex … | The post Trump, Bolton and the Syrian Confusion appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/trump-bolton-syrian-confusion/5665559
LA Teachers Are Mad About Charter School Growth. Why Won't Democrats Acknowledge That?
Rachel M. Cohen | theintercept.com | 2019-01-15
In the first major strike since the U.S. Supreme Court struck a blow to public-sector unions last June, more than 30,000 Los Angeles public school teachers took to the rainy streets Monday to launch the LA teachers union's first labor stoppage in 30 years. It's the seventh major teacher protest over the last year, but unlike their counterparts in Arizona, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, the Los Angeles teachers are not striking against austere Republican state legislatures. Rather, they are striking against the policies of their Democratic-controlled school district, city, and state, and are framing their efforts as…
theintercept.com/2019/01/15/la-teachers-strike-charter-schools/
William Barr May Be Worse on Immigration Than Jeff Sessions
John Washington | theintercept.com | 2019-01-15
Though a lot of attention will be on attorney general nominee William Barr's stance on executive power, and how it could affect the Mueller investigation, during the Senate confirmation hearings starting today, his legacy on immigration also merits strict scrutiny. Since he likely will be confirmed, Barr's hard-line immigration stance, which runs lockstep with President Donald Trump's, may set the stage for a new volley of attacks against immigrants and asylum-seekers. Migrants, attorneys, and advocates should be prepared. | Although former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was a hawk as well, Barr has a history of…
theintercept.com/2019/01/15/william-barr-confirmation-hearings-immigration/
India: Administrative detention for facebook posts: Kishorchandra Wangkhem
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-01-15
Kishorchandra Wangkhem, a journalist based in Manipur, India, was arrested in August, and again in November 2018, because of Facebook posts where he criticised the government. While he was released on bail in both cases, on 27 November, he was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA). This draconian administrative detention law allows for him to be imprisoned for 12 months without charge or trial, in violation of regular criminal justice safeguards. The High Court of Manipur will hear his challenge to his detention under the NSA on 1 February 2019.
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/9687/2019/en/
Pompeo's Visit to Bahrain Ignores Rights Issues
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-01-15
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is greeted by Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa upon arrival in Manama, Bahrain on January 11, 2019. | © 2019 US Department of State | United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo predictably avoided public discussion of human rights concerns during his recent visit to Bahrain, part of a nine-nation Middle East tour. | During a meeting with the King, Crown Prince, and Foreign Mi…
hrw.org/news/2019/01/15/pompeos-visit-bahrain-ignores-rights-issues
The Twitter Smearing of Corbyn and Assange
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-01-14
Historian and U.K. analyst Mark Curtis checks out the Twitter accounts of journalists whose names have been associated with the Integrity Initiative, a British "counter disinformation" program. By Mark Curtis British Foreign Policy Declassified The U.K.-financed Integrity Initiative, managed by… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/01/14/the-twitter-smearing-of-corbyn-and-assange/
Watch the 12th Vigil for Julian Assange Here
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-01-11
Consortium News broadcast the 12th Unity4J online vigil for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange on Friday, hosted by Consortium News Editor Joe Lauria. Julian Assange is a wanted man because he published classified information that revealed the crimes and corruption of… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/01/11/watch-the-12th-vigil-for-assange-here-live-at-4-pm-today/
William Barr's Unsolicited Memo to Trump About Obstruction of Justice
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-01-11
Barr's critique of the Mueller investigation raises serious questions about his views of presidential power. Senators should demand answers. | Last month, news broke that in June 2018, President Trump's current nominee for attorney general, William P. Barr, sent an unsolicited 20-page memo to the Justice Department critiquing special counsel Robert Mueller's current investigation into Russian election interference. | Barr, who previously served as attorney general under Preside…
aclu.org/blog/executive-branch/william-barrs-unsolicited-memo-trump-about-obstruction-justice
Mike Pompeo Lied About the U.S. and the Middle East. Here's the Truth
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-01-11
Trump's secretary of state gave a speech in Cairo that obscured the U.S. role in the Middle East. America has not been a force for good. | The post Mike Pompeo Lied About the U.S. and the Middle East. Here's the Truth. appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2019/01/11/mike-pompeo-speech-cairo/
Farewell to bblum6
Dave Markland | zcomm.org | 2019-01-10
Bill Blum passed away early last month in Virginia. Many Z Net readers will know his canonical book, Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since WWII, or remember his regular newsletter Anti-Empire Report. My first contact with Bill came in 1995 when I wrote him about something he had written on the Cold War. Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/farewell-to-bblum6/
New Documents Reveal a Covert British Military-Intelligence Smear Machine Meddling In American Politics
Max Blumenthal | grayzoneproject.com | 2019-01-09
The Integrity Initiative has mobilized an international disinformation campaign across Europe. Now, with government and right-wing foundation money, this massive… | The post New Documents Reveal a Covert British Military-Intelligence Smear Machine Meddling In American Politics appeared first on Grayzone Project.
grayzoneproject.com/2019/01/08/new-documents-reveal-a-covert-british-military-intelligence-smear-machine-meddling-in-american-politics/
William Arkin on Homeland Security's Creeping Fascism and Why the CIA & FBI Won't Save Us from Trump
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-09
Longtime NBC reporter and analyst William Arkin announced he was leaving the network last week in a blistering letter that took aim at the mainstream media for encouraging perpetual warfare and bolstering the national security state. In his letter, Arkin writes of Trump,…
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/9/william_arkin_on_homeland_securitys_creeping
Venezuelan Ex-Magistrate Flees to Miami, Pledges to 'Collaborate' with US Authorities
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-01-07
Venezuela's Supreme Court claims Christian Zerpa fled a sexual harassment investigation.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14208
US Secretary of State Pompeo Enlists Allies to 'Return Democracy' to Venezuela
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-01-03
US allies Brazil and Colombia have repeatedly voiced support for regime change efforts.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14202
SPLC statement on Supreme Court's denial of Trump administration's request to immediately enforce asylum ban
Melissa Crow, Senior Supervising Attorney of the SPLC's Immigrant Justice Project | splcenter.org | 2018-12-21
splcenter.org/news/2018/12/21/splc-statement-supreme-court-denial-asylum-ban