What About Venezuela's Hacked Power Grid?
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-19
Russia and the US are engaging in tit-for-tat hacking of each others' power grid, the New York Times is reporting, in what is really a kind of cyber "cold war" where the hackers from each country's military and intelligence services load electronic "explosives" in the computer systems of critical infrastructure of the other, that in…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/19/what-about-venezuelas-hacked-power-grid/

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband insists Johnson's comments impacted on her
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-06-19
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has insisted that comments made by Boris Johnson when he was foreign secretary "enabled a propaganda campaign" against her by Iran.Richard Ratcliffe directly contradicted claims by Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership TV debate that his remarks as foreign secretary had no bearing on the fate of the mother-of-one, who is in prison in Iran on spying charges.Apology: Mr Johnson was forced to apologise in 2017 after wrongly stating to a House of Commons committee that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been in Iran to teach journalists.Referring to the remarks, Mr Ratcliffe told BB…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/06/19/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffes-husband-insists-johnsons-comments-impacted-on-her/

French workers, "yellow vest" protesters support fight to free Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-19
For the last two weeks, the Parti de l'égalité socialiste has campaigned in Paris for this Sunday's public meeting in defense of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/19/pari-j19.html

Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil
Orion Edmonson | indybay.org | 2019-06-19
MacArthur & Fruitvale Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/06/19/18824060.php

John Pilger urges participation in SEP (Australia) rallies to defend Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-19
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/19/pilg-j19.html

UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer Becomes One of Assange's Most Vocal Advocates
Jimmysllama | mintpressnews.com | 2019-06-19
"Here [in Assange's case] we are not speaking of prosecution but of persecution. That means that judicial power, institutions and proceedings are being deliberately abused for ulterior motives." — Nils Melzer, UN Rapporteur on Torture…
mintpressnews.com/nils-melzer-confirms-what-many-suspected-julian-assange-tortured-and-persecuted-by-us/259334/

Iran stays firm as U.S. threatens attack
Deirdre Griswold | workers.org | 2019-06-19
Are the days over when Washington could shake its big stick and the rest of the imperialist world would immediately fall in line? The Pompeo-Bolton-Trump gang of conspirators in Washington seems to be having a hard time lining up their imperialist partners/rivals behind an attack on Iran. Their attempt to . . . | Continue reading Iran stays firm as U.S. threatens attack at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/06/18/iran-stays-firm-as-u-s-threatens-attack/

Let's Shut Down the Authoritarian Machine
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-19
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of the few, but we can't have both." –Supreme Court Justice Louis D. BrandeisTrump's ominous tweet about how his supporters might "demand" that he stay in office for more than two terms is the latest proof that his authoritarian ideology has little regard for the law. The tweet also reflects Trump'…
truthout.org/articles/lets-shut-down-the-authoritarian-machine/

Rory Stewart denies working for 'intelligence'; says 'I've always worked for the Tories'
John Shafthauer | thecanary.co | 2019-06-18
Potential Tory leader Rory Stewart has (potentially) been exposed as a spy: | Tuesday's Daily TELEGRAPH: "Mystery of Stewart's past links with MI6" #bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/MuPuM3GluW | — Allie Ho…
thecanary.co/off-the-perch/2019/06/18/rory-stewart-denies-working-for-intelligence-says-ive-always-worked-for-the-tories/

Have you heard of the CIA's Iran mission center?
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-06-18
In 2017, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created a special unit–the Iran Mission Center–to focus attention on the U.S. plans against Iran. This predated the Trump administration. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/06/18/have-you-heard-of-the-cias-iran-mission-center/

Have You Heard of the CIA's Iran Mission Center?
Vijay Prashad | commondreams.org | 2019-06-18
In 2017, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created a special unit—the Iran Mission Center—to focus attention on the U.S. plans against Iran. The initiative for this unit came from CIA director John Brennan, who left his post as the Trump administration came into office. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-687308576.jpg…
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/18/have-you-heard-cias-iran-mission-center?cd-origin=rss

Without a shred of evidence, U.S. accuses Iran of attacking tankers
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-06-18
Mike Pompeo, in a press conference, accused Iran of engineering the attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. However, he cited unnamed intelligence reports and other vague references in support of his claim. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/06/18/without-a-shred-of-evidence-u-s-accuses-iran-of-attacking-tankers/

Australian whistleblower trials shrouded in secrecy
wsws.org | 2019-06-18
The government's determination to block any public scrutiny of these crucial hearings constitutes wartime-like censorship.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/18/tria-j18.html

False Flags: The Process of "False Flagging" the World towards War. The CIA Weaponizes Hollywood
Larry Chin | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-18
Almost all wars begin with false flag operations. The coming conflicts in North Korea and Russia are no exception. Mass public hysteria is being manufactured to justify aggression against Moscow and Pyongyang, in retaliation for acts attributed to the North Korean and Russian governments, but orchestrated and carried out by the CIA and the Pentagon.
globalresearch.ca/false-flagging-the-world-towards-war/5421649

WikiLeaks' Vault7 CIA leaker tried to start 'information war' against govt — prosecutors
rt.com | 2019-06-18
The ex-CIA leaker who gave WikiLeaks the 'Vault7' documents smuggled phones into a Manhattan jail with the intention of waging an "information war" against the US government and "finally revers[ing] US jingoism" from behind bars. | …
rt.com/usa/462105-schulte-cia-information-war-wikileaks/

US Foreign Policy Exposed
Kevin Zeese | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-18
In the last week, the realities of US foreign policy have been exposed by a leaked audio tape, a leak about a US attack on the Russian electrical grid, and US attempts to extradite Julian Assange. All the information points …
globalresearch.ca/us-foreign-policy-exposed/5680952

US Foreign Policy Exposed
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-06-18
Protest against US Foreign Policy in the Philippines (Source EPA) In the last week, the realities of US foreign policy have been exposed by a leaked audio tape, a leak about a US attack on the Russian electrical grid, and US attempts to extradite Julian Assange. All the information points to a foreign policy that …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/06/us-foreign-policy-exposed/

Prominent Australian journalist Mary Kostakidis calls for campaign to free Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-18
"We must not wait till it is too late to recognise the broader significance of the persecution of Julian Assange and fail to defend his human rights."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/18/kost-j18.html

Julian Assange Indictment "Criminalizes the News Gathering Process"
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-18
A London judge has ordered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to appear before a court in February 2020 to face a full extradition hearing. Prosecutors in the U.S. have indicted Assange on 18 counts, including 17 violations of the Espionage Act. This is the first-ever case of a journalist or publisher being indicted under the World War I-era law. Assange said that his life was "effectively at stake" if the U.K. honors a U.S. request for his extradition. Assange is currently serving a 50-week sentence in London's Belmarsh Prison for skipping bail in 2012. We speak with James Goodale, former general counsel of The…
truthout.org/video/julian-assange-indictment-criminalizes-the-news-gathering-process/

Ecuadorian government gives Pentagon a base in the Galapagos
wsws.org | 2019-06-18
Inviting the Pentagon to use the world-renowned environmental site as a US aircraft carrier is of a piece with the Moreno government's betrayal of Julian Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/18/ecua-j18.html

Julian Assange Indictment "Criminalizes the News Gathering Process," Says Pentagon Papers Lawyer
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-06-18
A London judge has ordered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to appear before a court in February 2020 to face a full extradition hearing. Prosecutors in the U.S. have indicted Assange on 18 counts, including 17 violations of the Espionage Act. This is the first-ever case of a journalist or publisher being indicted under the World War I-era law. Assange said that his life was "effectively at stake" if the U.K. honors a U.S. request for his extradition. Assange is currently serving a 50-week sentence in London's Belmarsh Prison for skipping bail in 2012. We speak with James Goodale, former general counsel of The Ne…
www.democracynow.org/2019/6/18/pentagon_papers_lawyer_julian_assange_case

Shrewsbury 24 flying picket Terry Renshaw: "Only the power of the working class, not the official courts, is going to provide any perspective for freeing Julian Assange."
wsws.org | 2019-06-18
The former building worker explains, "To defend class war prisoners like Julian Assange, the perspective has got to be to raise the awareness and mobilise the masses."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/18/inte-j18.html

Exposed: The Pentagon's cyberwar against Russia
Brian Becker | liberationnews.org | 2019-06-18
Five years before Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel to investigate the allegation that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and had conspired with the Trump campaign, the Pentagon had been waging secret cyberattacks against Russia's electrical grid.
liberationnews.org/exposed-the-pentagons-cyberwar-against-russia/

Chi sono gli incendiari di petroliere
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-18
Mentre gli Stati uniti preparano una nuova escalation in Medio Oriente, accusando l'Iran di attaccare le petroliere nel Golfo di Oman, il vice-premier Matteo Salvini incontra a Washington il segretario di Stato Mike Pompeo, uno degli artefici di tale strategia, …
globalresearch.ca/chi-sono-gli-incendiari-di-petroliere/5681017

Catch 2020 — Trump's Authoritarian Endgame
Yoav Litvin | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-18
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Iran was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a version of events quickly challenged by Iran and the owner of the tanker. These accusations are reminiscent of similar charges lobbed at the Iranian regime in May, with some in the…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/18/catch-2020-trumps-authoritarian-endgame/

Nobody Believes US Claims That Iran Attacked Those Oil Tankers
The Mind Unleashed | theantimedia.com | 2019-06-18
(TMU Op-ed) — While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to rush to the conclusion that Iran was the key actor behind alleged attacks on oil tankers in one of the world's most strategically important oil routes–the Strait of Hormuz–the world has grown increasingly weary of the tall tales spun from Washington in its pursuit of …

Nobody Believes US Claims That Iran Attacked Those Oil Tankers

'If This Is True, They Are Even Bigger Lunatics Than We Realized': UN Officials Reportedly Believe Trump Planning 'Massive' Bombing Campaign in Iran
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-06-18
"There would be no going back from this. There's no such thing as a 'one and done' military strike on Iran." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_trump_bolton_pompeo_0.jpg…
commondreams.org/news/2019/06/18/if-true-they-are-even-bigger-lunatics-we-realized-un-officials-reportedly-believe?cd-origin=rss

US-India Military Cooperation: Pompeo Might Have the "Perfect Carrot" to Dangle in Front of Modi's Mouth
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-18
The US is planning to include India on its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list in order to place it at par with its NATO allies, "Israel", and a few others for the export of high-level military technologies, which …
globalresearch.ca/pompeo-might-have-perfect-carrot-dangle-front-modis-mouth/5680978

Quem sà£o os incendiários dos petroleiros
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-18
Enquanto os Estados Unidos preparam uma nova escalada no Médio Oriente, acusando o Irà£o de atacar petroleiros no Golfo de Omà£, o Vice-Primeiro Ministro, Matteo Salvini, encontra, em Washington, o Secretário de Estado, Mike Pompeo, um dos arquitectos dessa estratégia, …
globalresearch.ca/quem-sao-os-incendiarios-dos-petroleiros/5681024

US Cyber Attack on Russia's Power Grid is an 'Act of War' (According to the US)
Dave Lindorff | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-06-17
Russia and the US are engaging in tit-for-tat hacking of each others' power grid, the New York Times is reporting, in what is really a kind of cyber "cold war" where the hackers from each country's military and intelligence services load electronic "explosives" in the computer systems of critical infrastructure of the other, that in …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/06/us-cyber-attack-on-russias-power-grid-is-an-act-of-war-according-to-the-us/

US Cyber Attack on Russia's Power Grid Is an 'Act of War'
Dave Lindorff | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-17
Russia and the US are engaging in tit-for-tat hacking of each others' power grid, the New York Times is reporting, in what is really a kind of cyber "cold war" where the hackers from each country's military and intelligence services …
globalresearch.ca/us-cyber-attack-russias-power-grid-act-war-according-us/5680880

Germany: Protest vigil in Dusseldorf demands release of Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-17
"Assange's surrender to the US would mean that war crimes, spying on the population, or government intrigues and conspiracies would no longer be reported."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/17/assa-j17.html

Two protesters arrested at Melbourne rally in defence of Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-17
The arrests were aimed at intimidating supporters of WikiLeaks and preventing broader layers from joining the campaign to defend Assange and all democratic rights.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/17/melb-j17.html

The Coming Show Trial of Julian Assange
Chris Hedges | truthdig.com | 2019-06-17
LONDON–On Friday morning I was in a small courtroom at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Julian Assange, held in Belmarsh Prison and dressed in a pale-blue prison shirt, appeared on a video screen directly in front of me. Assange, his gray hair and beard neatly trimmed, slipped on heavy, dark-frame glasses at the start of the proceedings. He listened intently as Ben Brandon, the prosecutor, seated at a narrow wooden table, listed the crimes he allegedly had committed and called for his extradition to the United States to face charges that could result in a sentence of 175 years. The charges include…
truthdig.com/articles/the-coming-show-trial-of-julian-assange/

The Coming Show Trial of Julian Assange
Chris Hedges | commondreams.org | 2019-06-17
The publication of classified documents is not a crime in the United States, but if Assange is extradited and convicted it will become one. (Photo: Mr.Fish/Truthdig) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-06-17_at_10.43.18_am.png…
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/17/coming-show-trial-julian-assange?cd-origin=rss

John Pilger: Extradition Process a 'Very Long Uphill Road' for Assange
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-06-17
Britain's Home Secretary signed off on the U.S. request to extradite Julian Assange, and now UK courts will decide his fate. But if the process until now is any indication, he will not receive a fair hearing, says journalist and filmmaker John Pilger…
therealnews.com/stories/john-pilger-extradition-process-a-very-long-uphill-road-for-assange

Julian Assange to Face 5-Day Extradition Hearing in February 2020
Consortium News | theantimedia.com | 2019-06-17
(CN) — A decision on whether Julian Assange will be extradited to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act will not come until the end of February 2020 at the earliest, the Westminster Magistrate's Court ruled on Friday. Tristan Kirk, the London Evening Standard's courts reporter, tweeted: Julian Assange will not face a full extradition …

Julian Assange to Face 5-Day Extradition Hearing in February 2020

Julian Assange and the Scales of Justice: Exceptions, Extraditions and Politics
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-17
The Home Secretary of the United Kingdom did his thing, which was little in the way of disagreement. The superpower has issued a request; the retainer would comply. This week, the US Department Justice Department formally sought the extradition of Julian Assange. The process was certified by Sajid Javid, a man rather distracted of late.
counterpunch.org/2019/06/17/julian-assange-and-the-scales-of-justice-exceptions-extraditions-and-politics/

Exposed: The Pentagon's cyberwar against Russia
Brian Becker | liberationnews.org | 2019-06-17
Five years before Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel to investigate the allegation that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and had conspired with the Trump campaign, the Pentagon had been waging secret cyberattacks against Russia's electrical grid.
liberationnews.org/exposed-the-pentagons-cyberwar-against-russia/

Pompeo Claims US Does Not Want War with Iran Despite Threats
telesurenglish.net | 2019-06-17
The United States is not looking for a war with Iran, but Washington will take every action necessary, including diplomatic means, to guarantee safe navigation through the vital shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday. | RELATED: | Jeremy Corbyn Warns UK Gov't Against Blaming Iran Without 'Credible Evidence' | "We don't want war. We've done what we can to deter this," Pompeo said in an interview with 'Fox News Sunday', addin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Pompeo-Claims-US-Does-Not-Want-War-with-Iran-Despite-Threats-20190617-0001.html

Our Reality Can Beat Up Your Reality. Spreading False News Stories on Iran
Helen Buyniski | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-17
Twitter has declared victory over disinformation, deplatforming thousands of pro-Iranian Twitter accounts this week to coincide with US Secretary of State " Rapture Mike" Pompeo's evidence-free declaration that Iran had attacked two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. …
globalresearch.ca/our-reality-can-beat-up-your-reality-spreading-false-news-stories-on-iran/5680746

Pompeo's False Flag Refuted By Japanese Media: Tanker Hit by Flying Object, Not Mine — Confirms Onsite Worker
Joaquin Flores | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-17
The Japanese state news agency NHK has revealed that workers on the tanker saw a plane flying toward the tanker before the explosion. United States is pinning the blame for the tanker attacks on Iran. Tehran denies the accusation. | The …
globalresearch.ca/pompeos-false-flag-refuted-japanese-media-authority-tanker-hit-flying-object-not-mine-confirms-onsite-worker/5680830

Spain's Supreme Court endorses 1936 fascist coup
wsws.org | 2019-06-17
If Franco is rehabilitated, it is because powerful factions of the ruling class are considering another break with legality and democratic forms of rule, in order to defend their wealth.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/17/spai-j17.html

Citizenship and Partisan Gerrymandering: US Supreme Court Ruling on Census Could Deal Grave Blow to Democracy
Prof. Marjorie Cohn | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-17
The Supreme Court is poised to decide two cases that could prove devastating to the right to vote — the very foundation of a democracy. One case will review the Trump administration's attempt to add a citizenship question to the …
globalresearch.ca/supreme-court-ruling-census-could-deal-grave-blow-democracy/5680828

'Virginia Voters Are Finally Getting Fair Maps': Rights Advocates Celebrate US Supreme Court Ruling on Racial Gerrymandering
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-06-17
Voting rights advocates celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's Monday ruling on a racial gerrymandering case that, as Common Cause put it, "means Virginia voters are finally getting #fairmaps!" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-8570765781.jpg…
commondreams.org/news/2019/06/17/virginia-voters-are-finally-getting-fair-maps-rights-advocates-celebrate-us-supreme?cd-origin=rss

Selected Articles: Gulf of Oman Attack: False Flag Towards Iran War?
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-16
"It appears that Mike Pompeo has a hard time kicking his old habits. He appears to be as smug about lying as a CIA operative as he is as Secretary of State. Categorically blaming the Iranians for the recent oil …
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-gulf-oman-attack-false-flag-towards-iran-war/5680780

We Need Evidence-Based Decision Making
Wim Laven | commondreams.org | 2019-06-16
Copies of the "Mueller Report" printed by the US Government Publishing Office are seen at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on April 24, 2019. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mueller-report-955px.jpg…
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/16/we-need-evidence-based-decision-making?cd-origin=rss

Is Pompeo Angling to Interfere in British Politics?
Richard Silverstein | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-16
Apparently, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had quite a lively, candid conversation in a recent closed-door meeting with Jewish leaders. Among the invited guests, someone recorded Pompeo's comments, and they were quite revealing. | The Washington Post, which was given …
globalresearch.ca/pompeo-angling-interfere-british-politics/5680724

Whatever Pompeo says, there is no certainty Iran mined the Tankers
Juan Cole | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-15
The mysterious mines that blew up two tankers, one of them Japanese-owned and operated, on Wednesday, sent a frisson of fear through the Gulf, since it was clear that Trump warmongers would blame Iran and then use the incident as a springboard to war. | Despite the confident pronouncements of "Benghazi Mike" Pompeo at his brief news conference, the fact is that US intelligence hasn't had time or access to come to a firm conclusion about the author of the mine attack. | Pompeo's people put out grainy video of some sort of small ship coming alongside one of the tankers and then leaving peacefully. Since this doe…
nationofchange.org/2019/06/15/whatever-pompeo-says-there-is-no-certainty-iran-mined-the-tankers/

Think US media won't help lead nation into war with Iran based on flimsy or false intelligence? Looks like they already are
Jake Johnson | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-15
nationofchange.org/2019/06/15/think-us-media-wont-help-lead-nation-into-war-with-iran-based-on-flimsy-or-false-intelligence-looks-like-they-already-are/