Monthly Archives: March 2019

2019-03-22: News Headlines

SouthFront (2019-03-22). U.S. Special Operations: The New Face of America's War Machine. mintpressnews.com The U.S. military industrial complex does not desire large winnable wars, but "low-intensity" conflicts that last as long as possible. That is how the system retains power, maintains profits, and remains relevant.

Common Dreams staff (2019-03-22). It's Mueller Time: ACLU Demands DOJ 'Swiftly' Release Special Counsel Report to the Public. commondreams.org "The American people have a right to know if President Trump and his associates coordinated with Russia to interfere in our elections, the full extent of Russian efforts to affect our elections, and any attempts to interfere with Special Counsel Mueller's investigation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mueller_time.jpg

commondreams (2019-03-22). Mueller Report Must Be Made Public to Restore Confidence in Democracy. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-03-22). ACLU Calls for Public Release of Mueller Report on Russia Investigation. commondreams.org ______________________________…

teleSUR (2019-03-22). Pompeo Says Trump Sent by God to Save Israel. telesurenglish.net United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo proclaimed Thursday that "The Lord is at work here" regarding Trump's meddling in Middle East affairs between Israel and Iran, in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. | RELATED: | Video: Israeli Troops Arrest 10-year-old at Palestinian School | The question posed, which reveals as much about the interviewer as it does the politics of the religious station, was whether "President Trump right now has been sort of raised…

STAFF (2019-03-22). Pompeo Is at Odds With Lebanese Officials Over Hezbollah. truthdig.com BEIRUT — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday blasted Lebanon's Hezbollah, which he vowed the U.S. would continue to pressure, and called on the Lebanese people to stand up to the Iran-backed militant group he said was "committed to spreading destruction." | His harsh comments in Beirut were in strong contrast to those of Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil who minutes earlier, while standing next to Pompeo, insisted that Hezbollah is "a Lebanese group that is not a terrorist organization and was elected by the people." | Pompeo, however, warned that "the Lebanese people face a choice: Bravely…

teleSUR (2019-03-22). Catalan Pro-Independence Symbols Removed from Public Buildings. telesurenglish.net In compliance with an order from Spain's Central Electoral Board (JEC), the president of the Catalan Autonomous Government, Joaquim Torra, removed Friday symbols supporting Catalonia's independence, although he announced his intention to appeal before the Supreme Court. | RELATED: | Catalan Pro-Independence Demonstrators March on Madrid | The JEC gave two ultimatums to Torra thi…

Renee Parsons (2019-03-22). The Supreme Court and US-Israel Dual Citizenship. globalresearch.ca As AIPAC preps for its annual policy conference entitled "Connected for Good" with an expected attendance of 20,000 committed Zionists, its most zealous Zionist Congressional supporters will also likely be in attendance; that is, those who have signed the loyalty …

RT (2019-03-22). No new indictments!? Mueller concludes Russiagate probe, Dems demand 'underlying evidence'. rt.com After two years investigating President Donald Trump's alleged 'collusion' with Russia during the 2016 elections, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has at last delivered his final report to Attorney General William Barr for review.

WSWS (2019-03-22). Unsealed documents shed light on state conspiracy against Chelsea Manning. wsws.org The unsealed documents shine a light on the desperate measures to which the US government has resorted in pursuing a legal pretext to prosecute Julian Assange.

Democracy Now! (2019-03-21). Kushner, Inc.: Vicky Ward on How Jared and Ivanka's Greed & Ambition Compromise U.S. Foreign Policy. democracynow.org House Democrats are continuing to probe how President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from the CIA. The New York Times recently reported Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner the clearance despite the judgment of intelligence officials. Kushner failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application for clearance, which was denied by the FBI after a background check into his financial history and contacts with foreign investors. Kushner later revised his application three times, and was ultimately granted…

STAFF (2019-03-21). Trump's Secrecy Insulates U.S. Public from CIA Drone War. therealnews.com Trump just revoked an Obama-era reporting requirement about civilian drone strike casualties. While it lacked full transparency, it was better than the renewed secrecy that will surround the CIA's drone war program now…

Democracy Now! (2019-03-21). Headlines for March 21, 2019. democracynow.org New Zealand Outlaws Military-Style Weapons After Mosque Attacks, "Major Humanitarian Emergency" After Cyclone Pounds Southeast Africa, Three U.S. States Declare Emergencies as Missouri River Swells, Judge Halts Wyoming Oil and Gas Drilling, Citing Climate Change, Radovan Karadzic Sentenced to Life in Prison over Bosnian Genocide, Trump Administration Official Under Fire for Islamophobic Comments, Trump Travel Ban Prohibits Dozens from Attending U.N. Women's Forum, Trump Claims Mueller Report Should Be Made Public, Trump Assails Husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Pentagon Watchdog to Probe Acting D…

ACLU (2019-03-21). The FBI Won't Hand Over Its Surveillance Records on 'Black Identity Extremists,' so We're Suing. aclu.org The ACLU and the Center for Media Justice are suing the FBI for records about the surveillance of Black activists—a tactic with a long, sordid history | At a time when violence by white supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called "Black Identity Extremists"— an inflammatory term for a group that doesn't even exist. The bureau's practice echoes earlier, shameful government surveillance programs that sought to discredit civil rights and Black power activists who were critical to advancing racial equality — and it e…

teleSUR (2019-03-21). Guaido's 'Terrorist' Collaborator Arrested in Venezuela: Govt. telesurenglish.net Intelligence services have dismantled a "terrorist cell" that planned to attack and destabilize Venezuela, Minister of Interior Justice and Peace Nestor Reverol announced Thursday. | RELATED: | Video: Elliott Abrams Fumbles on How Juan Guaido is 'President' | Roberto Marrero Borgas, alleged "chief of staff" for self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido, was arrested in the police operation, the official said. | "The citizen Marrero Borgas is directly responsible for the or…

Alan Macleod (2019-03-21). Bolsonaro at Langley: New US Lapdog Pays Homage to the Empire. mintpressnews.com FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA — Brazil's new fascist president, Jair Bolsonaro, touched down in Washington to pay homage at the CIA headquarters and to visit President Donald Trump, with whom he met on Tuesday. All reports are that the meeting between the two heads of state went very well — not surprisingly, given how similar their politics and personalities are. Bolsonaro shares Trump's penchant for racist, xenophobic remarks, calling immigrants from poor countries "the sc…

Stephen Lendman (2019-03-21). Islamophobia and Trump's Travel Ban against Muslims. Supreme Court Demeans Unwanted Aliens. globalresearch.ca Stacked with right-wing extremists, the Supreme Court upheld Trump's travel ban against Muslims from the wrong countries by a 5 — 4 majority last June. | At the time, the Court held that the Trump regime "set forth a sufficient national …

WSWS (2019-03-21). Far right attacks on UK Muslims following New Zealand massacre. wsws.org The attacks were preceded by the claim of Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing, that "there is no intelligence linking these appalling events in Christchurch to the UK."

STAFF (2019-03-19). Venezuela Tops CIA's Agenda for Brazil's President. therealnews.com On his first visit to the U.S., President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro eagerly receives his instructions from the CIA and Trump's foreign policy team. Alex Main of CEPR analyzes the visit…

Democracy Now! (2019-03-19). ACLU: The U.S. Is Acting Like an Authoritarian Regime by Barring ICC Officials Probing War Crimes. democracynow.org The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report…

ACLU (2019-03-18). Can Prosecutors Dismiss Jurors for Agreeing With the O.J. Simpson Verdict? aclu.org California's highest court ruled that the O.J. verdict question was "race neutral." The Supreme Court now has a chance to weigh in. | Gov. Gavin Newsom's moratorium on executions in California has highlighted the pernicious role race has played in who gets the death penalty in that state. In a case now awaiting review, the U.S. Supreme Court will have an opportunity to examine whether discriminatory tactics in jury selection in a California capital case can stand. | It has long been settled that prosecutors may not dismiss cit…

Democracy Now! (2019-03-15). Headlines for March 15, 2019. democracynow.org 49 Dead as Far-Right Shooter Opens Fire on New Zealand Mosques, President Trump Threatens Political Opponents with Violence, Connecticut Court Allows Sandy Hook Parents to Sue Gun Maker, Students Walk Out of Schools to Protest Gun Violence, Senate Rebukes Trump's Border Emergency Declaration, House Votes 420 to 0 to Make Mueller Report Public, Schoolchildren in Over 100 Countries Strike to Demand Climate Action, Swedish Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Nominated for Nobel Prize, NYC to Spend $500 Million Protecting Manhattan from Climate Change, Interior Official Hails Trump for Distracting Media from Drilling Pla…

splcenter (2019-03-07). SPLC joins civil rights groups in friend-of-the-court brief urging Supreme Court to uphold fair, non-partisan redistricting principles. splcenter.org The U.S. Supreme Court this month will hear oral arguments in two cases that will test the court's readiness to tackle the issue of partisan gerrymandering.

Yanis Varoufakis (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…

Chris Hedges (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.

2019-03-22: Social Media Postees

U.S. Special Operations: The New Face of America's War Machine
SouthFront | mintpressnews.com | 2019-03-22
The U.S. military industrial complex does not desire large winnable wars, but "low-intensity" conflicts that last as long as possible. That is how the system retains power, maintains profits, and remains relevant.
mintpressnews.com/u-s-special-operations-the-new-face-of-americas-war-machine/256431/

It's Mueller Time: ACLU Demands DOJ 'Swiftly' Release Special Counsel Report to the Public
Common Dreams staff | commondreams.org | 2019-03-22
"The American people have a right to know if President Trump and his associates coordinated with Russia to interfere in our elections, the full extent of Russian efforts to affect our elections, and any attempts to interfere with Special Counsel Mueller's investigation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mueller_time.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/03/22/its-mueller-time-aclu-demands-doj-swiftly-release-special-counsel-report-public?cd-origin=rss

ACLU Calls for Public Release of Mueller Report on Russia Investigation
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-03-22
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/03/22/aclu-calls-public-release-mueller-report-russia-investigation?cd-origin=rss

Mueller Report Must Be Made Public to Restore Confidence in Democracy
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-03-22
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/03/22/mueller-report-must-be-made-public-restore-confidence-democracy?cd-origin=rss

Pompeo Is at Odds With Lebanese Officials Over Hezbollah
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-03-22
BEIRUT — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday blasted Lebanon's Hezbollah, which he vowed the U.S. would continue to pressure, and called on the Lebanese people to stand up to the Iran-backed militant group he said was "committed to spreading destruction." | His harsh comments in Beirut were in strong contrast to those of Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil who minutes earlier, while standing next to Pompeo, insisted that Hezbollah is "a Lebanese group that is not a terrorist organization and was elected by the people." | Pompeo, however, warned that "the Lebanese people face a choice: Bravely…
truthdig.com/articles/pompeo-is-at-odds-with-lebanese-officials-over-hezbollah/

Pompeo Says Trump Sent by God to Save Israel
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-03-22
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo proclaimed Thursday that "The Lord is at work here" regarding Trump's meddling in Middle East affairs between Israel and Iran, in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. | RELATED: | Video: Israeli Troops Arrest 10-year-old at Palestinian School | The question posed, which reveals as much about the interviewer as it does the politics of the religious station, was whether "President Trump right now has been sort of raised…
telesurenglish.net/news/Pompeo-Says-Trump-Sent-by-God-to-Save-Israel-20190322-0014.html

Unsealed documents shed light on state conspiracy against Chelsea Manning
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-22
The unsealed documents shine a light on the desperate measures to which the US government has resorted in pursuing a legal pretext to prosecute Julian Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/22/mann-m22.html

The Supreme Court and US-Israel Dual Citizenship
Renee Parsons | globalresearch.ca | 2019-03-22
As AIPAC preps for its annual policy conference entitled "Connected for Good" with an expected attendance of 20,000 committed Zionists, its most zealous Zionist Congressional supporters will also likely be in attendance; that is, those who have signed the loyalty …
globalresearch.ca/supreme-court-dual-citizenship/5672294

Catalan Pro-Independence Symbols Removed from Public Buildings
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-03-22
In compliance with an order from Spain's Central Electoral Board (JEC), the president of the Catalan Autonomous Government, Joaquim Torra, removed Friday symbols supporting Catalonia's independence, although he announced his intention to appeal before the Supreme Court. | RELATED: | Catalan Pro-Independence Demonstrators March on Madrid | The JEC gave two ultimatums to Torra thi…
telesurenglish.net/news/Catalan-Pro-Independence-Symbols-Removed-from-Public-Buildings-20190322-0013.html

No new indictments!? Mueller concludes Russiagate probe, Dems demand 'underlying evidence'
RT | rt.com | 2019-03-22
After two years investigating President Donald Trump's alleged 'collusion' with Russia during the 2016 elections, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has at last delivered his final report to Attorney General William Barr for review. | …
rt.com/usa/454532-mueller-probe-attorney-general/

The FBI Won't Hand Over Its Surveillance Records on 'Black Identity Extremists,' so We're Suing
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-21
The ACLU and the Center for Media Justice are suing the FBI for records about the surveillance of Black activists–a tactic with a long, sordid history | At a time when violence by white supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called "Black Identity Extremists"– an inflammatory term for a group that doesn't even exist. The bureau's practice echoes earlier, shameful government surveillance programs that sought to discredit civil rights and Black power activists who were critical to advancing racial equality — and it e…
aclu.org/blog/racial-justice/race-and-criminal-justice/fbi-wont-hand-over-its-surveillance-records-black

Kushner, Inc.: Vicky Ward on How Jared and Ivanka's Greed & Ambition Compromise U.S. Foreign Policy
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-03-21
House Democrats are continuing to probe how President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from the CIA. The New York Times recently reported Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner the clearance despite the judgment of intelligence officials. Kushner failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application for clearance, which was denied by the FBI after a background check into his financial history and contacts with foreign investors. Kushner later revised his application three times, and was ultimately granted…
www.democracynow.org/2019/3/21/kushner_inc_vicky_ward_on_how

Guaido's 'Terrorist' Collaborator Arrested in Venezuela: Govt
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-03-21
Intelligence services have dismantled a "terrorist cell" that planned to attack and destabilize Venezuela, Minister of Interior Justice and Peace Nestor Reverol announced Thursday. | RELATED: | Video: Elliott Abrams Fumbles on How Juan Guaido is 'President' | Roberto Marrero Borgas, alleged "chief of staff" for self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido, was arrested in the police operation, the official said. | "The citizen Marrero Borgas is directly responsible for the or…
telesurenglish.net/news/Guaidos-Terrorist-Collaborator-Arrested-in-Venezuela-Govt-20190321-0026.html

Trump's Secrecy Insulates U.S. Public from CIA Drone War
STAFF | therealnews.com | 2019-03-21
Trump just revoked an Obama-era reporting requirement about civilian drone strike casualties. While it lacked full transparency, it was better than the renewed secrecy that will surround the CIA's drone war program now…
therealnews.com/stories/trumps-secrecy-insulates-u-s-public-from-cia-drone-war

Bolsonaro at Langley: New US Lapdog Pays Homage to the Empire
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-03-21
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA — Brazil's new fascist president, Jair Bolsonaro, touched down in Washington to pay homage at the CIA headquarters and to visit President Donald Trump, with whom he met on Tuesday. All reports are that the meeting between the two heads of state went very well — not surprisingly, given how similar their politics and personalities are. Bolsonaro shares Trump's penchant for racist, xenophobic remarks, calling immigrants from poor countries "the sc…
mintpressnews.com/jair-bolsonaro-at-langley-new-us-lapdog-pays-homage-to-the-empire/256402/

Far right attacks on UK Muslims following New Zealand massacre
WSWS | wsws.org | 2019-03-21
The attacks were preceded by the claim of Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing, that "there is no intelligence linking these appalling events in Christchurch to the UK."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/03/21/atta-m21.html

Islamophobia and Trump's Travel Ban against Muslims. Supreme Court Demeans Unwanted Aliens
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-03-21
Stacked with right-wing extremists, the Supreme Court upheld Trump's travel ban against Muslims from the wrong countries by a 5 — 4 majority last June. | At the time, the Court held that the Trump regime "set forth a sufficient national …
globalresearch.ca/islamophobia-and-trumps-travel-ban-against-muslims-supreme-court-demeans-unwanted-aliens/5672251

Venezuela Tops CIA's Agenda for Brazil's President
STAFF | therealnews.com | 2019-03-19
On his first visit to the U.S., President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro eagerly receives his instructions from the CIA and Trump's foreign policy team. Alex Main of CEPR analyzes the visit…
therealnews.com/stories/venezuela-tops-cias-agenda-for-brazils-president

ACLU: The U.S. Is Acting Like an Authoritarian Regime by Barring ICC Officials Probing War Crimes
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-03-19
The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report…
www.democracynow.org/2019/3/19/aclu_the_us_is_acting_like

Can Prosecutors Dismiss Jurors for Agreeing With the O.J. Simpson Verdict?
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-03-18
California's highest court ruled that the O.J. verdict question was "race neutral." The Supreme Court now has a chance to weigh in. | Gov. Gavin Newsom's moratorium on executions in California has highlighted the pernicious role race has played in who gets the death penalty in that state. In a case now awaiting review, the U.S. Supreme Court will have an opportunity to examine whether discriminatory tactics in jury selection in a California capital case can stand. | It has long been settled that prosecutors may not dismiss cit…
aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/racial-disparities-and-death-penalty/can-prosecutors-dismiss-jurors-agreeing

SPLC joins civil rights groups in friend-of-the-court brief urging Supreme Court to uphold fair, non-partisan redistricting principles
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-03-07
The U.S. Supreme Court this month will hear oral arguments in two cases that will test the court's readiness to tackle the issue of partisan gerrymandering.
splcenter.org/news/2019/03/07/splc-joins-civil-rights-groups-friend-court-brief-urging-supreme-court-uphold-fair-non