The Myth of the US "Knocking the Hell Out of ISIS" in Syria
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-02-09
ISIS is a US creation. So are al-Qaeda, its al-Nusra offshoot, and other terrorist groups — used by the Pentagon and CIA as proxy troops. | Trump claiming "(w)e're knocking the hell out of ISIS…We have defeated ISIS in Syria" are … | The post The Myth of the US "Knocking the Hell Out of ISIS" in Syria appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/the-myth-of-the-us-knocking-the-hell-out-of-isis-in-syria/5667900
Will the US Speak Out on Hungary's Rights Crisis?
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-09
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses the supporters after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 8, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | When he visits Hungary next week, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo should raise the alarm in light of Hungary's deteriorating human rights situation. | Instead of sending a message of business as usual, he should make clear that Hungary's backsliding on human rights has implications for its relations with the US. | Undermin…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/09/will-us-speak-out-hungarys-rights-crisis
IYSSE calls on students in Australia to join the demonstrations in defence of Julian Assange
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-02-09
The defence of Assange is at the cutting edge of the fight against growing authoritarianism and an assault on democratic rights around the world.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/09/iyss-f09.html
US Supreme Court clears way for execution of Muslim inmate without imam in death chamber
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-02-09
The Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling openly violated the separation of church and state enshrined in the US Constitution and the high court's jurisprudence that government may not discriminate among faiths.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/09/exec-f09.html
Pompeo Attempts to Link Iran, Hezbollah to Crisis in Venezuela
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-02-08
"People don't recognize that Hezbollah has active cells — the Iranians are impacting the people of Venezuela and throughout South America. We have an obligation to take down that risk for America and [what we'll talk about is] how we do that in South America and all across the globe." — Mike Pompeo | The post Pompeo Attempts to Link Iran, Hezbollah to Crisis in Venezuela appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/pompeo-attempts-to-link-iran-hezbollah-to-crisis-in-venezuela/254903/
Watch the 16th Julian Assange Vigil
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-02-08
Unity4J presented the 16th online vigil for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday. You can watch the replay here. Guests: Mike Gravel, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, Brian Becker, Teodrose Fikre and more. Among the topics discussed were the Geneva city parliament voting… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/02/08/join-the-16th-assange-vigil-webcast-here-at-4pm-est/
Planned Parenthood: SCOTUS Halts Louisiana Abortion Law for Now, But Roe v. Wade Fate Uncertain
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-08
The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a restrictive Louisiana anti-choice law from going into effect Thursday, in a major victory for reproductive rights advocates. The case was seen as a litmus test for determining whether millions of women across the nation will continue to have access to abortions. The divided court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of an emergency appeal by a Louisiana-based abortion provider, Hope Medical Group for Women, to temporarily block a Republican-backed law that could have left the state with just a single doctor legally allowed to perform abortions. The law requires doctors who perform abo…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/8/planned_parenthood_scotus_halts_louisiana_abortion
SCOTUS Halts Louisiana Abortion Law for Now, But Fate of "Roe v. Wade" Uncertain
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-02-08
The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a restrictive Louisiana anti-choice law from going into effect Thursday, in a major victory for reproductive rights advocates. The case was seen as a litmus test for determining whether millions of women across the nation will continue to have access to abortions. The divided court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of an emergency appeal by a Louisiana-based abortion provider, Hope Medical Group for Women, to temporarily block a Republican-backed law that could have left the state with just a single doctor legally allowed to perform abortions. The law requires doctors who perform…
truthout.org/video/scotus-halts-louisiana-abortion-law-for-now-but-fate-of-roe-v-wade-uncertain/
Susan Collins Intentionally Misled the Public about Kavanaugh: She Must be Held Accountable for Kavanaugh's War on Roe
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-02-08
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commondreams.org/newswire/2019/02/08/susan-collins-intentionally-misled-public-about-kavanaugh-she-must-be-held?cd-origin=rss
In Alabama, a Muslim Man Was Denied the Presence of His Imam During His Execution
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-08
The Supreme Court's ruling to move forward with Domineque Ray's execution violates the Establishment Clause's principle of religious neutrality. | Domineque Ray was pronounced dead last night at 10: 12 p.m. Thirty minutes prior, his execution by lethal injection began. | His last words were a proclamation of his Muslim faith in Arabic. But Ray's imam was missing from the room, despite Ray's repeated requests to the state for his imam's presence. In the days leading up to his death, Ray w…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/alabama-muslim-man-was-denied-presence-his-imam-during-his-execution
'Don't want to get into that': Democrats' #MeToo double standard on Kavanaugh and Fairfax
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-08
Whether the Democrats went too hard in their pursuit of Brett Kavanaugh for alleged sexual assault, or have been too soft on fellow party member Justin Fairfax, it all amounts to the same thing — hypocrisy is an unbecoming look. | …
rt.com/usa/451010-kavanaugh-fairfax-democrats-double-standards/
Brett Kavanaugh Is Already Done Pretending He Respects Abortion Rights
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2019-02-08
Brett Kavanaugh Is Already Done Pretending He Respects Abortion Rights…
thenation.com/article/susan-collins-brett-kavanaugh-louisana-abortion/
'Unlimited Presidential Harassment': Trump blasts House Intel chair for financial investigation
RT | rt.com | 2019-02-07
President Trump unloaded on House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff, after Schiff announced a new investigation into the president's finances. The investigation is one of several Democrat-led probes targeting the president. | …
rt.com/usa/450893-trump-schiff-investigation-harassment/
Pompeo: US Military Obligated to "Take Down" the Iranians in Venezuela
Jessica Corbett | theantimedia.com | 2019-02-07
(CD) — As a U.S.-backed effort to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro continues,U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Wednesday that Hezbollah "has active cells" in Venezuela–a claim that was immediately scrutinized and compared with the second Bush administration's lies to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Hezbollah, a political and militant Shi'ite Muslim group based …
Pompeo: US Military Obligated to "Take Down" the Iranians in Venezuela
Spanish state vs Catalonia: putting a political trial on trial
stuart_m | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-07
On February 12, the trial of 12 Catalan politicians and social movement leaders involved in the October 1, 2017 independence referendum is set to begin in the Spanish Supreme Court. | The leaders face sanctions as harsh as 25 year's jail for their alleged offences — rebellion, sedition and embezzlement of public funds. | It is the first of three trials. Other defendants, including former police chief, José Lluís Trapero, will face the National High Court. Those members of the Catalan parliament who allowed discussion and voting on the referendum enabling law will face the High Court of Justice of Catalonia…
greenleft.org.au/content/spanish-state-vs-catalonia-putting-political-trial-trial
Trump Withdrawing from Old Wars While Threatening Iran with New One
Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski | therealnews.com | 2019-02-07
While Trump is withdrawing US troops from Syria and Afghanistan, he is ramping up aggression against Iran — acting both less and more hawkish than his intelligence agencies. Trita Parsi says Washington is violating international law in its campaign to isolate and strangle Tehran | The post Trump Withdrawing from Old Wars While Threatening Iran with New One appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/trump-withdrawing-from-old-wars-while-threatening-iran-with-new-one
How to Shine a Light on U.S. Government Surveillance of Americans
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-06
Before Congress votes to reauthorize key spying laws, it must demand answers. | This year, Congress must vote on reauthorizing provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire — including Section 215, which the government abused for years to illegally collect Americans' phone records in bulk. As this debate gets underway, both Congress and the public need some answers. | In 2015, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act to reform parts of the Patriot Act and make other much-needed changes to the government's surveil…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/privacy-and-surveillance/how-shine-light-us-government-surveillance-americans
"Liar-in-Chief": Rep. Ilhan Omar Slams Trump's SOTU Remarks on Border, Venezuela, Israel & More
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-06
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Trump called for bipartisan unity while he attacked Democrats and the Robert Mueller investigation, denounced efforts to expand abortion rights in Virginia and New York, attacked immigrants and reiterated his demand for a border wall–with no mention of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which delayed his address by a week. Women in Congress wore all white to the speech in a nod to the movement for women's suffrage. After the address, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made history, becoming the first African-Americ…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/6/liar_in_chief_rep_ilhan_omar
Ana María Archila: Brett Kavanaugh's Presence at SOTU Represented Failure of U.S. Democracy
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-06
As we continue to discuss President Trump's State of the Union, we are joined by Ana María Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy. She attended the address as a guest of New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In September, Archila made headlines when she, along with another woman, Maria Gallagher, confronted Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona in an elevator after he announced his support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Shortly after the confrontation, Sen. Flake called for a delay of the Senate vote pending a limited FBI investigation.
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/6/ana_maria_archila_brett_kavanaughs_presence
63% of a British Audience Would Prefer to Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia
Middle East Monitor | theantimedia.com | 2019-02-06
(MEMO) — A night of compelling debate at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Monday evening concluded with 63 percent of the 1,000-strong audience voting for the motion that "The West should cut ties with Saudi Arabia". The debate was organised by Intelligence Squared and began with a not insignificant 37 percent of those present admitting that …
63% of a British Audience Would Prefer to Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia
Trial of El Chapo Highlights Failure of U.S. War on Drugs, But Will U.S. Ever Be Held to Account?
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-05
Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the notorious Mexican drug kingpin, has been on trial in New York City for 11 weeks. A federal jury headed into deliberations yesterday after more than 200 hours of testimony at the Federal District Court in Brooklyn revealing the inner workings of the Sinaloa Cartel, the major drug trafficking organization run by El Chapo. Fifty-six witnesses took to the stand with stories of murder, violence, spying, widespread corruption and even one tale of the drug lord escaping arrest in 2014 by climbing naked through a sewer alongside a former lover. El Chapo faces 10 charges, including leading a…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/5/trial_of_el_chapo_highlights_failure
The Supreme Court Is Considering Whether the Government Can Dodge the First Amendment by Outsourcing Its Power
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-04
A case about a video banned from public access cable TV could have important implications for our constitutional rights. | The First Amendment bars the government from censoring speech that it doesn't like. That rule also goes for a private organization that takes on a government role. But when exactly is an organization considered a stand-in for the government? The Supreme Court will soon hear a case to decide. | Before smartphones, the internet, and digital cameras, it wasn't easy to get your videos in front of…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/supreme-court-considering-whether-government-can-dodge-first-amendment-outsourcing
"RBG" Documentary Nominated for Academy Award as Supreme Court Justice Recovers from Lung Surgery
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-01-31
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently missed oral arguments as she continues to recover after having two tumors removed from her lung last month. But the Supreme Court has said she is cancer-free and that the 85-year-old, now three-time cancer-surviving justice, has been reviewing arguments and weighing in on cases from home. Meanwhile, the documentary "RBG" about her life has been nominated for an Academy Award. At the Sundance Film Festival, we speak with Julie Cohen, one of the film's directors.
www.democracynow.org/2019/1/31/rbg_documentary_nominated_for_academy_award
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/
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/