Warnings of 'Gulf of Tonkin 2.0' as US Officials Blame Iran for Oil Tanker Attacks
Jake Johnson | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-15
(CD) — Is the Trump administration attempting to concoct a false pretext to justify launching a war against Iran? That question has become increasingly common and urgent among anti-war commentators and activists in recent days as U.S. intelligence officials–without citing any concrete evidence–blamed Iran for reported attacks on Saudi and UAE oil tankers in the Strait of …
Warnings of 'Gulf of Tonkin 2.0' as US Officials Blame Iran for Oil Tanker Attacks
Cleaning Out the Antti-China Nutters
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-15
Inimitable to a fault, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating had been fairly quiet on his party's policies till an impromptu press intervention last week. Catching two journalists of the ABC off-guard, Keating took little time to land a few blows against Australia's foreign and domestic intelligence security officers. They had, in Keating's view,…
counterpunch.org/2019/05/15/cleaning-out-the-antti-china-nutters/
Undermining Trump-Bolton War Narrative, British General Says No Evidence of 'Increased Threat' From Iran
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-15
"Intelligence and military officials in Europe as well as in the United States said that over the past year, most aggressive moves have originated not in Tehran, but in Washington." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/british.png…
commondreams.org/news/2019/05/15/undermining-trump-bolton-war-narrative-british-general-says-no-evidence-increased?cd-origin=rss
"The IYSSE will redouble its efforts to build a mass movement of young people in Assange's defence"
wsws.org | 2019-05-15
We are publishing the speech of the IYSSE representative at the May 12 meeting in London in defence of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/15/assp-m15.html
Hunter "Meet the Candidates" Forum exposes major parties
wsws.org | 2019-05-15
SEP candidate Max Boddy said that "the elephant in this election campaign is the deafening silence on the persecution of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/15/hunt-m15.html
Why Everyone in the U.S. Who Counts Wants Julian Assange Dead
Thomas Neuburger | commondreams.org | 2019-05-15
On April 5, 2010, WikiLeaks released "Collateral Murder," a video showing a July 12, 2007 US Apache attack helicopter attack upon individuals in a Baghdad suburb. Amongst the over twelve people killed by the 30mm cannon fire were two Reuters journalists. (Image: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/collateral-damage-children_0.jpg…
commondreams.org/views/2019/05/15/why-everyone-us-who-counts-wants-julian-assange-dead?cd-origin=rss
Attendees at London meeting to free Assange and Manning speak out
wsws.org | 2019-05-15
Audience members at last Sunday's meeting in London in defence of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning spoke to reporters from the World Socialist Web Site .
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/15/ints-m15.html
Whistleblower's Arrest Shows Even "Secure" Platforms Are Vulnerable
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-14
The recent indictment of former intelligence analyst Daniel Hale offers a cautionary tale to future whistleblowers. In the process of leaking dozens of classified documents to the press, Hale followed the same canned advice that's been repeated by Edward Snowden and countless other privacy advocates: it's all about onion routing and strong encryption. For example, Hale used a bootable thumb drive loaded with the ostensibly secure Tails operating system. To communicate with…
truthout.org/articles/whistleblowers-arrest-shows-even-secure-platforms-are-vulnerable/
Tulsi Gabbard would drop charges against Assange & Snowden
rt.com | 2019-05-14
Democrat presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) said she would drop all charges against Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, as their prosecution would have a "chilling effect" on free press and whistleblowers. | …
rt.com/usa/459356-gabbard-assange-snowden-charges/
Venezuelan Communes Protect the State
Robert Hunziker | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-14
Direct democracy works like a charm. Check out Venezuela's Communes…. Venezuela's ubiquitous Communes are proof that direct democracy works. And, interestingly enough, those same Communes are powerful buffers to attempted coups, protecting the sanctity of direct democracy in their country. In all likelihood, John Bolton and Trump and Pence and Pompeo and Rubio were shocked…
counterpunch.org/2019/05/14/venezuelan-communes-protect-the-state/
Venezuelan Communes Protect the State
Robert Hunziker | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-14
Direct democracy works like a charm. Check out Venezuela's Communes…. Venezuela's ubiquitous Communes are proof that direct democracy works. And, interestingly enough, those same Communes are powerful buffers to attempted coups, protecting the sanctity of direct democracy in their country. In all likelihood, John Bolton and Trump and Pence and Pompeo and Rubio were shocked …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/venezuelan-communes-protect-the-state/
At Odds on Many Fronts, U.S. and Russia Hope for Better Ties
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-05-14
Mike Pompeo and Vladimir Putin each signal a desire to focus on the future in the first high-level meeting since the Mueller inquiry ended.
truthdig.com/articles/at-odds-on-many-fronts-u-s-and-russia-hope-for-better-ties/
Washington pushes to brink of war against Iran
wsws.org | 2019-05-14
Pompeo's abrupt trip to Brussels and the deployment of more US military assets to the Persian Gulf point to a calculated US escalation of a war crisis.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/14/iran-m14.html
Intelligence and Local Cooperation Guide Precise Houthi Drone Attack on Saudi Pipeline
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-14
Saudi and UAE vital strategic targets are all within the range of fire and Houthi sources have warned that they should expect more attacks on their oil infrastructure should the Saudi-led Coalition continue its aggression and siege on the Yemeni people.
mintpressnews.com/intelligence-and-local-cooperation-guide-precise-houthi-drone-attack-on-saudi-pipeline/258488/
NAACP Opposes Wendy Vitter and all Nominees Who Refuse to Affirm Brown v Board of Education
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-05-14
BALTIMORE — Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District of Louisiana and all nominees refusing to endorse the Supreme Court's seminal ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. "This week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposes-wendy-vitter-nominees-refuse-affirm-brown-v-board-education/
ACTION ALERT: WaPo Must Acknowledge CIA Role in Pakistan Polio Crisis
Adam Johnson | fair.org | 2019-05-14
In commenting on what's holding back the conquest of polio, the Washington Post ( 5/10/19) didn't mention the humans at the CIA. | If the last three years have taught us anything, it's that it's much easier to blame "fake news" than to look in the mirror and see how one's own country, and their powerful institutions, may bear responsibility for a social ill. This jingoistic narcissism is on full d…
fair.org/home/action-alert-wapo-must-acknowledge-cia-role-in-pakistan-polio-crisis/
Washington's Reliance on Redactions Threatens Our Democracy
Karen J. Greenberg | thenation.com | 2019-05-14
Washington's Reliance on Redactions Threatens Our Democracy…
thenation.com/article/tom-dispatch-mueller-report-washington-redactions-democracy/
The Real Mueller-Gate Scandal
consortiumnews.com | 2019-05-14
Craig Murray blasts the special counsel for naming and condemning people without ever interviewing them. By Craig Murray CraigMurray.org.uk Special Counsel Robert Mueller is either a fool, or deeply corrupt. I do not think he is a fool. I… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/05/14/the-real-mueller-gate-scandal/
Students in Berlin support this Saturday's rally to defend Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-05-14
SEP and IYSSE campaigners have distributed thousands of leaflets and put up hundreds of posters in workplaces, universities, and shopping centres to promote the "Freedom for Julian Assange" rally in Berlin.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/14/berl-m14.html
Pompeo Takes a Page From the Bernard Lewis Playbook on Iran
Alastair Crooke | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-13
Inspired by his intellectual hero Bernard Lewis, Pompeo, together with Richard Perle's PNAC colleague, John Bolton, seems to be itching to using the Lewis recipe of 'hitting Iran between the eyes with a big stick.
mintpressnews.com/pompeo-takes-a-page-from-the-bernard-lewis-playbook-on-iran/258421/
Prosecution of Assange may be severely compromised under English law, agrees barrister
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2019-05-13
A barrister and adviser to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argues that any intended prosecution of him by the US or Sweden may have been severely compromised. And as such, that would invalidate any extradition request from either of those countries. | Consequences of US political interference: | Commentary on Assange and WikiLeaks by US politicians has been rife. For example, CIA chief Mike Pompeo described WikiLeaks as a…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/05/13/prosecution-of-assange-may-be-severely-compromised-under-english-law-agrees-barrister/
Anti-monopoly App Store lawsuit against Apple gets go-ahead from US Supreme Court
rt.com | 2019-05-13
The US Supreme Court is letting a group of consumers proceed with their antitrust lawsuit against Apple after rejecting the tech behemoth's argument that iOS App Store users aren't really its customers. | …
rt.com/usa/459240-supreme-court-apple-app-store/
Trump continues Obama's war on whistleblowers, arrests another alleged Intercept source
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-05-13
This outrageous explosion of watchlisting — of monitoring people and racking and stacking them on lists, assigning them numbers, assigning them 'baseball cards,' assigning them death sentences without notice, on a worldwide battlefield — it was, from the very first instance, wrong. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/05/13/trump-continues-obamas-war-on-whistleblowers-arrests-another-alleged-intercept-source/
Sweden Reopens 9-Year Old Rape Investigation Against Julian Assange; Seeks His Arrest and Extradition
consortiumnews.com | 2019-05-13
The Swedish prosecuting authority announced at a Stockholm press conference Monday that Sweden would seek Assange's extradition from Britain to face investigation on a nearly decade-old allegation of sexual assault. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Sweden's deputy director… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/05/13/sweden-reopens-9-year-old-rape-investigation-against-assange-seeks-his-extradition/
Sweden Reopens Investigation of Julian Assange for Rape, Complicating U.S. Extradition
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-05-13
If Julian Assange is extradited from Britain to Sweden to face a rape allegation, his extradition to the U.S. could be delayed or even blocked.
theintercept.com/2019/05/13/sweden-reopens-investigation-julian-assange-rape-complicates-u-s-extradition/
After Assange, Ecuador's Lenin Moreno escalates persecution of critics and perceived foes
Denis Rogatyuk | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-13
The US-backed, neoliberal Ecuadorian leader is persecuting Swedish software developer Ola Bini for his political sympathies, censoring critical media, and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/05/12/lenin-moreno-persecution-ola-bini/
Arundhati Roy on Why She Admires WikiLeaks & Opposes Assange's Extradition to the U.S
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-13
In Sweden, prosecutors are reopening an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and are seeking his extradition to face charges in Sweden. Prosecutors had dropped the investigation in 2017 because they said the case could not proceed while Assange was holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for seven years before being forcibly removed by British police last month. Assange has since been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in Britain for skipping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange has denied the sexual assault accusations. Assange pr…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/13/arundhati_roy_on_why_she_admires
Swarms of Drones, Piloted by Artificial Intelligence, May Soon Patrol Europe's Borders
Zach Campbell | theintercept.com | 2019-05-11
The EU is funding the development of AI-powered drones that would autonomously patrol Europe's borders. The project's potential for military use can't be ignored.
theintercept.com/2019/05/11/drones-artificial-intelligence-europe-roborder/
Pompeo's Arctic Shipping Lanes
Robert Hunziker | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-10
America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the prestigious Arctic Council biannual meeting in Finland, christened the Arctic meltdown: "A wonderful economic opportunity for international trade." In a nutshell, here's a critique of the Secretary's advice: An ice-free Arctic reduces travel time for shipping lanes between Asia and the West by three weeks, which …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/pompeos-arctic-shipping-lanes/
Trump Steps up War on Whistleblowers: Air Force Vet Daniel Hale Arrested For Leaking Drone War Info
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-10
A former U.S. intelligence analyst was arrested Thursday and charged with violating the Espionage Act for allegedly leaking documents about the secretive U.S. drone program. | Daniel Hale, 31, was arrested in Nashville. He faces up to 50 years in prison. Hale is accused of disclosing 11 top secret or secret documents to a reporter. The indictment does not name the reporter but unnamed government sources have told media outlets that the reporter is investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept. In 2015, The Intercept published a special report called the Drone Papers exposing the inner workings of the U…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/10/trump_steps_up_war_on_whistleblowers
Weekend Read: Brown v. Board of Education and modern-day segregation
splcenter.org | 2019-05-10
Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous ruling that outlawed racial segregation in public schools as a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/11/weekend-read-brown-v-board-education-and-modern-day-segregation
The Mueller Report Isn't The Only Thing That William Barr Is Hiding
aclu.org | 2019-05-10
Barr's attempt to block a report detailing how often the government seeks to spy on Twitter's users is inappropriate and dangerous. | Attorney General William Barr recently invoked a powerful, rarely used privilege to withhold information from the public, marking a dramatic turn of events in a battle over the release of a highly contested report. | Only this time, we're talking about a report that would provide much-needed information on the government's spying activities. | For the past five years, Twitter has been trying to make public a transparency report with detailed statistics about how often the U.S. gove…
aclu.org/blog/executive-branch/mueller-report-isnt-only-thing-william-barr-hiding
A Constitutional Crisis? House Panel Holds AG Barr in Contempt as Trump Claims Executive Privilege
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-09
The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over the unredacted Mueller report and the underlying evidence to lawmakers. Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for the unredacted report. This all came after the White House invoked executive privilege to prevent the full report's release to Congress and to bar former White House counsel Don McGahn from providing documents to Congress related to the Mueller probe. We speak with Ian Millhiser, a columnist for ThinkP…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/9/a_constitutional_crisis_house_panel_holds
Trump Administration Charges Drone Whistleblower With Allegedly Violating Espionage Act
Kevin Gosztola | shadowproof.com | 2019-05-09
Trump DOJ Charges Drone Whistleblower | *Listen to this story by clicking the above player. | A former language analyst for the United States Air Force, who worked for the National Security Agency, was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act and other offenses. | According to the indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Daniel Hale allegedly disclosed eleven classified documents to a reporter…
shadowproof.com/2019/05/09/trump-administration-charges-alleged-drone-whistleblower-with-violating-espionage-act/
Trump ratchets up anti-immigrant campaign
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-09
While much of the media continues to focus on the Mueller report and the squabbles between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, US President Donald Trump's real crimes are scarcely addressed or are ignored altogether. | This column will take up one of these crimes, Trump's intensification of his racist war on immigrants. He is not alone on this — the ultra-right throughout Europe and elsewhere have similar anti-immigrant policies. | In recent weeks Trump has appointed new officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
greenleft.org.au/content/trump-ratchets-anti-immigrant-campaign
Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril
Karen Dolan | progressive.org | 2019-05-08
The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.
progressive.org/op-eds/transgender-peoples-rights-in-peril-dolan-190508/
Rachel Maddow endorses regime change in Venezuela to "push Russia back," sympathizes with Bolton and Pompeo
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-06
The top rated MSNBC host took her trademark brand of liberal militarism to new levels by branding efforts to avert…
thegrayzone.com/2019/05/06/rachel-maddow-endorses-war-venezuela/
NAACP Opposes Michael Park's Nomination to Second Circuit, Says Failure to Support Brown V. Board is Disqualifying
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-05-06
Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael Park to the U.S Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. The Senate will vote on Mr. Park's nomination later this week. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, made the following statement: "Next week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's seminal decision in …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposes-michael-parks-nomination-second-circuit-says-failure-support-brown-v-board-disqualifying/
Israeli offensive, North Korean missiles, Venezuela, Assange
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-05-06
Israel offensive On May 4, the Israel Defense Forces announced an air strike on dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip. The office of the Turkish news agency Anadolu in the Gaza Strip was hit in the course of the offensive. Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu called the incident an example of aggression on the Israeli side, and …
uwidata.com/3324-israeli-offensive-north-korean-missiles-venezuela-assange/
April 2019 — geopolitical events
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-05-05
Europe Assange arrested On April 11, Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, was arrested in London after Ecuador revoked political asylum earlier granted to the journalist. Since 2012, Assange has been held in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Britain is likely to extradite Assange to the US against Assange's wishes. Assange is accused in …
uwidata.com/3303-april-2019-geopolitical-events/
Venezuela: Another coup fails
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
"Interim President" Juan Guaido and right-wing opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez spearheaded an unsuccessful coup attempt in Caracas on April 30. | The thwarted uprising started in the early morning hours when renegade military and intelligence officers reportedly released Lopez from house arrest. Lopez then joined Guaido and a handful of soldiers on the Altamira overpass in east Caracas, outside the Francisco de Miranda airbase, known as La Carlota. | Lopez and Guaido released videos on social media, call…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-another-coup-fails
Venezuelans Hold Rival Marches for Workers' Day as Pompeo Threatens 'Military Action'
Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-05-01
Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for "escalating strikes" following Tuesday's failed military putsch.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14458
Venezuela: Canada Imposes Fresh Sanctions as Pompeo Vows to 'Tighten Noose'
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-04-15
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Lima Group have pledged more sanctions against Venezuela.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14431