Daily Archives: June 8, 2019

2019-06-08: News Headlines

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2019-06-08). When the Journalists Ganged Up on Assange They Ganged Up on Themselves. globalresearch.ca Journalists did not appreciate the implications for themselves of the contrived and false indictment of Julian Assange by a corrupt US government. It was obvious to a few of us that the indictment by the US government, a government constrained …

Staff (2019-06-07). The Wall Street Journal's Disgraceful Defense of Gina Haspel. truthdig.com A Wall Street Journal report ( 5/25/19) by Warren Strobel whitewashed CIA Director Gina Haspel's career and put a positive spin on the CIA's insulation from public accountability with its turn towards its greatest opacity "in decades." | While one might expect CIA officials to support greater secrecy around the organization, it's odd that ostensibly independent journalists—with a mission to hold official organizations accountable by informing the public—would treat less inf…

Thomas Neuburger (2019-06-07). Four Ways to Expand the U.S. Supreme Court. commondreams.org That the Supreme Court was failing its constitutional role had been clear to close observers since the 1976 decision in Buckley v. Valeo, which ruled that election spending was "speech." (Photo: Joe Ravi/CC-BY-SA 3.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/supremecourt_2.jpeg

Staff (2019-06-07). Virginia Thomas, Clarence Thomas's Wife, Is Launching Nonprofit to Protect Trump. truthout.org Conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas plans to launch a new PAC and 501(c)(4) nonprofit, according to a report published in The Intercept this week. Dubbed "American D-Day," the groups will be part of a broader project called Crowdsourcers, with the goal of protecting President Donald Trump. | If Thomas's name sounds familiar, it may be because she is married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been on the bench for nearly three decades. But Ginni Thomas has long carved out her own place in conservati…

Reese Erlich (2019-06-07). Nuclear Disarmament: The View from Moscow. thenation.com Nuclear Disarmament: The View from Moscow…

Orion Edmonson (2019-06-07). Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil. indybay.org MacArthur and fruitvale Oakland…

Tom Coburg (2019-06-07). Extradition attempts against Assange turn to farce as US prosecution seeks help of convicted paedophile. thecanary.co US authorities are reportedly preparing to use a convicted paedophile as a prosecution witness against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.Discredited witness?: A WikiLeaks press release claims the US is now hoping to use Sigurdur Thordarson as a witness in its prosecution against Assange. It also states that, as part of the US extradition request, further charges are likely to be added to those already listed: | Press Release: DoJ preparing to file additional indictment against Assange. | The Trum…

WSWS (2019-06-07). Sri Lankan Trotskyists win strong support for Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. wsws.org University students voice their concerns about the US-led assaults on Assange and Manning and speak out in defence of free speech.

Derek Royden (2019-06-07). Julian Assange and the increasing threat to freedom of the press. nationofchange.org The continued persecution of Manning and Assange shows that while actual war criminals are showered with praise and given lucrative sinecures, those who reveal their crimes are the ones who will face punishment.

Staff (2019-06-07). UN Torture Expert Says Assange Is Victim of Psychological Torture. therealnews.com UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer investigated the situation of Julian Assange, despite initial reservations. He says if Assange is extradited he faces a "politicized trial," part of the unprecedented international effort to silence and imprison him…

pip.hinman (2019-06-07). Bring Julian Assange home appeal. greenleft.org.au Below is an appeal, initiated by Michael Rubbo and signed by many journalists, to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to pull out all stops to do more to get Julian Assange released. | * * * | We are a diverse group of people, many of whom originally came together in 2018 to work for the release of James Ricketson from his Cambodian jail. We now reunite to push for the release of Julian Assange who is currently very ill in Britain's Belmarsh prison as he awaits extradition to either the United States or Sweden. | On May 9, he was visited by UN Special Rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer: "Our finding…

WSWS (2019-06-07). WikiLeaks warns US Justice Department preparing more charges against Assange. wsws.org The threat of new charges against the persecuted journalist, already facing 170 years in prison, comes amid fresh fears about his health after his father reported a "short notice" medical appointment.

Joshua Cho (2019-06-07). WSJ Says CIA Chief Wouldn't Do Anything 'Inappropriate'—Despite Record of Torture and Coverup. commondreams.org The most egregious part of Strobel's report is its whitewashing of Haspel's disturbing record in the CIA by uncritically transmitting glowing endorsements by other CIA officials. (Photo: FAIR) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-06-07_at_12.09.26_pm.png

Joshua Cho (2019-06-06). WSJ Says CIA Chief Wouldn't Do Anything 'Inappropriate'—Despite Record of Torture and Coverup. fair.org by Joshua Cho A Wall Street Journal report (5/25/19) by Warren Strobel whitewashed CIA Director Gina Haspel's career and put a positive spin on the CIA's insulation from public accountability with its turn towards its greatest opacity "in decades." While one might expect CIA officials to support greater secrecy around the organization, it's odd that …

RT (2019-06-06). But we're diverse! NSA roasted over appropriating Pride Month, reminded of mass surveillance sins. rt.com Efforts by the National Security Agency (NSA) to pose as diverse during Pride Month have attracted scorn and outrage on social media, where people have not forgotten about bulk spying on Americans and the world.

Sue Davis (2019-06-06). Why it's necessary: Unite and fight against abortion bans. workers.org The criminal anti-abortion network in the U.S., praised and promoted by the racist, reactionary Don in the Oval Office, was hard at work the last two weeks of May. A Missouri abortion ban was signed into law on May 24. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a split decision in an . . . | Continue reading Why it's necessary: Unite and fight against abortion bans at Workers.org

Manlio Dinucci (2019-06-06). The Long Arm of the Bilderberg Group. Created by the CIA and MI6. globalresearch.ca Three Italians were invited to this year's meeting of the Bilderberg Group, which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, (30 May to 2 June). Another journalist was invited with Lili Gruber, the host of the TV channel La7, and now the …

Gareth Porter (2019-06-06). How the U.S. Navy Sold the Vietnam War. globalresearch.ca Dr. Tom Dooley, whose best-selling book "Deliver Us From Evil" helped create a favorable climate of opinion for U.S. intervention in South Vietnam, has long been linked to legendary CIA officer Edward G. Lansdale and his black operations in …

CGTN Africa (2019-06-06). Islamic State says it has moved into Mozambique, police say no. cgtn.com The Islamic State group claims it was involved in an insurgent clash in Mozambique for the first time, but analysts expressed doubt and Mozambican police dismissed the claim outright. | According to SITE Intelligence, a company that monitors extremist activity, Islamic State issued a statement late Tuesday claiming involvement in an apparent gunfight with the Mozambique military in Cabo Delgado. | "The soldiers of the Caliphate were able to repulse an attack by the Crusader Mozambican army in Metubi village, in the Mocimboa area," said the statement, according to a SITE translation. | "They clashed with them w…

MAIL (2019-06-06). Headlines for June 6, 2019. democracynow.org U.S.-Mexico Immigration Talks Continue as Trump's Tariff Deadline Nears, Trump Admin to Cut School, Legal Aid and Recreation for Migrant Children, Mexican Police Arrest Immigration Activists Cristóbal Sánchez and Irineo Mujica, Trump Visits Normandy, France, on 75th Anniversary of D-Day Invasion, Trump Compares Future Irish Border to U.S.-Mexico Border Wall, Irish Protesters Decry Trump's Racism, Misogyny and Climate Denial, Pressed on Climate Change, Trump Says Weather "Changes Both Ways", Yemen's Houthi Rebels Claim They've Seized Territory in Saudi Arabia, CNN: Trump Admin Withheld Intelligence on China-Backed…

Thomas Knapp (2019-06-06). Instead of a US Peace Plan for the Middle East, How about a US Peace Plan for the US? counterpunch.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo describes the Trump administration's plan for peace between Israel and Palestinian Arabs as "unexecutable." President Trump says Pompeo "may be right." Good! As addiction counselors say, the first step is admitting you have a problem. With addiction, the way out is not "if at first you don't succeed, try, More

John Buell (2019-06-06). From Guatemala to Moscow to Washington, Neoliberalism and Privatization Driving Our Crises. commondreams.org These exculpatory views survived even amidst the elevation of Elliott Abrams, the war criminal architect of brutal Central American policy late last century. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/abrams_pompeo.jpeg

Paul Dobson (2019-06-06). Venezuela: Pompeo Exposes Frustration Over Opposition Divisions as China, Russia Call for Non-Interference. venezuelanalysis.com The US Secretary of State claims efforts to unify the opposition have been "devilishly difficult."

Pamela Rafalow Grossman (2019-06-06). Chelsea Manning's Coming of Age. progressive.org In the new film "XY Chelsea," director Tim Travers Hawkins keeps the whistleblower's vulnerability front and center: "I hope she can flourish as a free woman."

Staff (2019-06-06). Corporate Media Will Regret Abandoning Julian Assange. truthdig.com After British police arrested Julian Assange on April 11, the first instinct of corporate journalists was to perform a line-drawing exercise. In so doing, corporate media dutifully laid the groundwork for the US Department of Justice's escalating political persecution of the WikiLeaks founder, and set the stage for a renewed assault on a free and independent press by the Trump administration. | Following the philosopher of science Karl Popper, I'll call this the problem of journalistic demarcation. Facing his own demarc…

WSWS (2019-06-06). The global war on journalism. wsws.org The arrest of Julian Assange has set a precedent for the state persecution of journalists, triggering police raids in Australia and France against reporters documenting government crimes and corruption.

WSWS (2019-06-06). UN Special Rapporteur on Torture warns Julian Assange could die in prison. wsws.org The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture said in an Australian radio interview on June 1 that Julian Assange could die in jail if his persecution is not ended here and now.

susan_p (2019-06-06). Behind the US Espionage Act. greenleft.org.au WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces 17 counts of violating the United States Espionage Act, for publishing material given to him by former US soldier Chelsea Manning. | The material included documents that exposed US war crimes and other material about Washington's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, which the military wanted to keep secret from the public. | The Espionage Act was passed in 1917 as the US entered the First World War. A product of wartime hysteria, it was first used against the Socialist Party (SP) and against anarchists and the anarcho-syndicalists of the Industrial Workers of the World, who op…

Ted Rall (2019-06-06). Hacking Dirty Government Secrets Is Not a Crime. counterpunch.org British goon cops acting at the request of the United States government entered Ecuador's embassy in London, dragged out WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and prepared to ship him across the pond. After this event last month most of the mainstream media reacted with spiteful glee about Assange's predicament and relief that the Department of Justice More

Joe Lauria (2019-06-06). After Assange's Espionage Act Indictment, Police Move Against More Journalists for Publishing Classified Material. commondreams.org "These raids are all about intimidating journalists and intimidating whistle blowers so that mistakes made by the Government, including potential crimes, by the military, remain covered up, remain secret, and don't fall in to the public domain." (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/messenger.jpeg

Binoy Kampmark (2019-06-06). Cults of Impeachment. counterpunch.org It is a giddy intoxicant, and making all who partake fall over in puddling nonsense. The Mueller Report is not turning out to be the cleansing agent any of its readers were hoping for. Originally encouraged to identify the cause behind Trumpland and its dark side, the agent of disaffection, the root of madness, it More

Staff (2019-06-06). Trump's Tariff War Is Bad for Everyone But His Friends. truthout.org Since time out of mind, presidents have deployed the "Hey, look over here!" tactic to distract the public from politically damaging stories. In less than three years, Donald Trump has raised the practice nearly to the level of performance art. His latest wingding over tariffs against Mexico, however, could have lasting repercussions both for his political standing and the national economy at large. | It began, as it so often has since 2017, with former special counsel Robert Mueller, who gave a nine-minute statement on Ma…

John W. Whitehead (2019-06-06). Technotyranny: The Iron-Fisted Authoritarianism of the Surveillance State. counterpunch.org "There will come a time when it isn't 'They're spying on me through my phone' anymore. Eventually, it will be 'My phone is spying on me.'" ― Philip K. Dick Red pill or blue pill? You decide. Twenty years after the Wachowskis' iconic 1999 film, The Matrix, introduced us to a futuristic world in which More

teleSUR (2019-06-05). Argentina's Top Court Upholds Glacier Law, Rules Against Mining. telesurenglish.net Argentina's supreme court unanimously rejected Tuesday a challenge to the law brought by the Canadian miner Barrick Gold, Minera Argentina Gold, and San Juan's province, who attempted to topple the national Law prohibiting mining, oil and gas projects in glacier and in permafrost areas passed by the country's Congress in 2011. | RELATED: | Argentina Protests Gender Violence, Demand Right to Abort | "Miners have long marked this region for its rich gold, silver and copper deposits, a…

plenglish (2019-06-05). Supreme Court of Colombia to Subpoena Santrich. plenglish.com Bogota, Jun 5 (Prensa Latina) The Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia on Wednesday announced the decision to subpoena the leader of the Alternative Revolutionary Force of the Common (FARC) and congressman, Jesus Santrich.

Aidan O'Brien (2019-06-05). The EU Votes and the CIA Wins Again. globalresearch.ca The European Union voted last month but not one of its 21st century war crimes and war criminals were a topic of conversation. The real possibility of a nuclear war between the EU and Russia wasn't an issue either. The …

Staff (2019-06-05). Republicans Clash With Trump Over Tariffs on Mexican Imports. truthout.org Mexican officials are meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today in Washington, D.C., to discuss President Trump's plan to impose a 5% tariff on all imported Mexican goods. Over time, tariffs could increase to as much as 25%. Trump announced tariffs over what he claims is Mexico's failure to stem the flow of Central American asylum seekers and migrants into the United States. Citing potentially devastating consequences to the U.S. economy, Senate Republicans defied the president Tuesday, announcing their opposition to the tariffs. We speak with Laura Carlsen, director of th…

unitedEditor (2019-06-05). Pompeo and Trump say the US is ready for talks with Iran… uwidata.com but will Iran risk trusting them yet again? While less than a month ago everyone was concerned about the possibility of war breaking out in the Persian Gulf, American policy toward Iran now seems to have shifted once again. While in Japan, Trump stated that the US has no plans to bring down the …

teleSUR (2019-06-05). US: Tape Shows Pompeo's Real Opinion on Venezuelan Opposition. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan opposition is divided, a fact which has presented challenges to the U.S. government in their efforts to topple President Nicolas Maduro, admitted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a secret recording leaked Wednesday by the Washington Post. | RELATED: | Sanction to Kill: How US Blockade Is Taking Venezuelans' Lives | "Our conundrum, which is to keep the opposition united, has proven devilishly difficult," Pompeo added during a closed-door meeting in New York last we…

MAIL (2019-06-05). Republicans Clash with Trump over Proposed Tariffs of Up to 25% on All Mexican Imports. democracynow.org Mexican officials are meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today in Washington, D.C., to discuss President Trump's plan to impose a 5% tariff on all imported Mexican goods. Over time, tariffs could increase to as much as 25%. Trump announced tariffs over what he claims is Mexico's failure to stem the flow of Central American asylum seekers and migrants into the United States. Citing potentially devastating consequences to the U.S. economy, Senate Republicans defied the president Tuesday, announcing their opposition to the tariffs. We speak with Laura Carlsen, director of the M…

Tom Coburg (2019-06-05). Journalists now fair game as police raid public broadcaster following US hounding of Assange. thecanary.co In April, US authorities issued an extradition request for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, with warnings from The Canary and other m…

Consortiumnews (2019-06-05). 'No One is Above the Law' (Except the U.S.A.). consortiumnews.com Julian Assange's Australian lawyer and a European human rights lawyer argue that the conduct of the U.S. regarding the WikiLeaks publisher blatantly disregards numerous laws. By Greg Barns and Lisanne Adam Special to Consortium News On 11 April 2019, UK… Read more →

Consortiumnews (2019-06-05). After Assange's Espionage Act Indictment, Police Move Against More Journalists for Publishing Classified Material. consortiumnews.com Less than two months after the arrest of journalist Julian Assange, and two weeks after his indictment under the Espionage Act, emboldened governments have sent the police after journalists who've challenged the state. Joe Lauria reports. By Joe Lauria in… Read more →

Aaron Maté (2019-06-05). It's Time to Move on From Mueller. thenation.com It's Time to Move on From Mueller…

Eoin Higgins (2019-06-05). Police Raid Home of Prominent Journalist Who Reported on Secret Spying Program. theantimedia.com (CD) — Australian police raided the home of one of the country's prominent journalists Tuesday, raising questions about press freedom in that country and across the western world. Journalist Annika Smethurst, the national politics editor at Sydney's Sunday Telegraph, was the target of the early morning raid. Police served a warrant at her home related to materials she …

WSWS (2019-06-05). Australian Federal Police raid journalists over exposures of government spying, war crimes. wsws.org The raids, targeting a News Corp journalist and the Sydney offices of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, are part of an expanding assault on democratic rights and press freedom.

pip.hinman (2019-06-05). AFP raids: a grave threat to media freedom. greenleft.org.au The Australian Federal Police (AFP) raids on senior mainstream media journalists over June 5—6 have reignited calls to allow journalists to do their job, for an end of their intimidation and for an investigation into media freedoms. | On June 4, police raided the Canberra home of News.com journalist Annika Smethurst, who has written on cyber security threats and the federal government's plan to allow spying on Australian citizens to "proactively disrupt and covertly remove" onshore cyber threats. That piece was published in April last year. | On June 5, the AFP marched into the ABC offices in Sydney with wa…

John O'Day (2019-06-05). Corporate Media Have Second Thoughts About Exiling Julian Assange From Journalism. fair.org "Democracy dies in darkness," reads the Washington Post slogan—though apparently sometimes it's good to put people in prison for exposing government wrongdoing ( 4/11/19). | After British police arrested Julian Assange on April 11, the first instinct of corporate journalists was to perform a line-drawing exercise. In so doing, corporate media dutifully laid the groundw…

Alexander Rubinstein (2019-06-05). Following US Lead on Assange, Australia Goes on Assault Spree Against Free Press. mintpressnews.com SYDNEY — Since the United States charged journalist Julian Assange with 17 counts of Espionage Act violations — charges that could see Assange facing the death penalty — Australia appears to be following America's lead and cracking down on free press, particularly journalists and publications that publish government secrets. | Australia — Assange's nation of origin and a Five Eyes member — has conducted two raids in as many days. The first was on Tuesday, when Aus…

Lee Fang (2019-06-04). Ginni Thomas Plans New Conservative Supergroup to "Protect President Trump" theintercept.com With the help of a who's who of conservative activists, the Supreme Court justice's wife aims to open up a new front in America's political wars.

2019-06-08: Social Media Postees

Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil
Orion Edmonson | indybay.org | 2019-06-08
MacArthur and fruitvale Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/06/06/18823782.php

When the Journalists Ganged Up on Assange They Ganged Up on Themselves
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-08
Journalists did not appreciate the implications for themselves of the contrived and false indictment of Julian Assange by a corrupt US government. It was obvious to a few of us that the indictment by the US government, a government constrained …
globalresearch.ca/when-journalists-ganged-up-assange-they-ganged-up-themselves/5679909

WSJ Says CIA Chief Wouldn't Do Anything 'Inappropriate'—Despite Record of Torture and Coverup
Joshua Cho | commondreams.org | 2019-06-07
The most egregious part of Strobel's report is its whitewashing of Haspel's disturbing record in the CIA by uncritically transmitting glowing endorsements by other CIA officials. (Photo: FAIR) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-06-07_at_12.09.26_pm.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/07/wsj-says-cia-chief-wouldnt-do-anything-inappropriate-despite-record-torture-and?cd-origin=rss

The Wall Street Journal's Disgraceful Defense of Gina Haspel
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-06-07
A Wall Street Journal report ( 5/25/19) by Warren Strobel whitewashed CIA Director Gina Haspel's career and put a positive spin on the CIA's insulation from public accountability with its turn towards its greatest opacity "in decades." | While one might expect CIA officials to support greater secrecy around the organization, it's odd that ostensibly independent journalists–with a mission to hold official organizations accountable by informing the public–would treat less inf…
truthdig.com/articles/the-wall-street-journals-disgraceful-defense-of-gina-haspel/

Four Ways to Expand the U.S. Supreme Court
Thomas Neuburger | commondreams.org | 2019-06-07
That the Supreme Court was failing its constitutional role had been clear to close observers since the 1976 decision in Buckley v. Valeo, which ruled that election spending was "speech." (Photo: Joe Ravi/CC-BY-SA 3.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/supremecourt_2.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/07/four-ways-expand-us-supreme-court?cd-origin=rss

Virginia Thomas, Clarence Thomas's Wife, Is Launching Nonprofit to Protect Trump
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-07
Conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas plans to launch a new PAC and 501(c)(4) nonprofit, according to a report published in The Intercept this week. Dubbed "American D-Day," the groups will be part of a broader project called Crowdsourcers, with the goal of protecting President Donald Trump. | If Thomas's name sounds familiar, it may be because she is married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been on the bench for nearly three decades. But Ginni Thomas has long carved out her own place in conservati…
truthout.org/articles/wife-of-justice-clarence-thomas-extends-her-conservative-reach-for-2020/

Nuclear Disarmament: The View from Moscow
Reese Erlich | thenation.com | 2019-06-07
Nuclear Disarmament: The View from Moscow…
thenation.com/article/inf-trump-putin-pompeo-lavrov/

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Warns Julian Assange Could Die in Prison
Kevin Reed | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-07
In a June 1 interview with ABC Radio Adelaide, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer warned that Julian Assange could die in prison if his persecution is not stopped immediately. | Last week, Melzer issued a scathing denunciation of Assange's …
globalresearch.ca/un-special-rapporteur-torture-warns-julian-assange-could-die-prison/5679903

Bring Julian Assange home appeal
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-07
Below is an appeal, initiated by Michael Rubbo and signed by many journalists, to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to pull out all stops to do more to get Julian Assange released. | * * * | We are a diverse group of people, many of whom originally came together in 2018 to work for the release of James Ricketson from his Cambodian jail. We now reunite to push for the release of Julian Assange who is currently very ill in Britain's Belmarsh prison as he awaits extradition to either the United States or Sweden. | On May 9, he was visited by UN Special Rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer: "Our finding…
greenleft.org.au/content/bring-julian-assange-home-appeal

Bring Julian Assange home appeal
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-07
Below is an appeal, initiated by Michael Rubbo and signed by many journalists, to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to pull out all stops to do more to get Julian Assange released. | * * * | We are a diverse group of people, many of whom originally came together in 2018 to work for the release of James Ricketson from his Cambodian jail. We now reunite to push for the release of Julian Assange who is currently very ill in Britain's Belmarsh prison as he awaits extradition to either the United States or Sweden. | On May 9, he was visited by UN Special Rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer: "Our finding…
greenleft.org.au/content/bring-julian-assange-home-appeal

WikiLeaks warns US Justice Department preparing more charges against Assange
wsws.org | 2019-06-07
The threat of new charges against the persecuted journalist, already facing 170 years in prison, comes amid fresh fears about his health after his father reported a "short notice" medical appointment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/07/assa-j07.html

Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil
Orion Edmonson | indybay.org | 2019-06-07
MacArthur and fruitvale Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/06/06/18823782.php

Extradition attempts against Assange turn to farce as US prosecution seeks help of convicted paedophile
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2019-06-07
US authorities are reportedly preparing to use a convicted paedophile as a prosecution witness against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.Discredited witness?: A WikiLeaks press release claims the US is now hoping to use Sigurdur Thordarson as a witness in its prosecution against Assange. It also states that, as part of the US extradition request, further charges are likely to be added to those already listed: | Press Release: DoJ preparing to file additional indictment against Assange. | The Trum…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/06/07/extradition-attempts-against-assange-turn-to-farce-as-us-prosecution-seeks-help-of-convicted-paedophile/

Sri Lankan Trotskyists win strong support for Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning
wsws.org | 2019-06-07
University students voice their concerns about the US-led assaults on Assange and Manning and speak out in defence of free speech.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/07/asan-j07.html

Julian Assange and the increasing threat to freedom of the press
Derek Royden | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-07
The continued persecution of Manning and Assange shows that while actual war criminals are showered with praise and given lucrative sinecures, those who reveal their crimes are the ones who will face punishment.
nationofchange.org/2019/06/07/julian-assange-and-the-increasing-threat-to-freedom-of-the-press/

UN Torture Expert Says Assange Is Victim of Psychological Torture
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-06-07
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer investigated the situation of Julian Assange, despite initial reservations. He says if Assange is extradited he faces a "politicized trial," part of the unprecedented international effort to silence and imprison him…
therealnews.com/stories/un-torture-expert-says-assange-is-victim-of-psychological-torture

WSJ Says CIA Chief Wouldn't Do Anything 'Inappropriate'–Despite Record of Torture and Coverup
Joshua Cho | fair.org | 2019-06-06
by Joshua Cho A Wall Street Journal report (5/25/19) by Warren Strobel whitewashed CIA Director Gina Haspel's career and put a positive spin on the CIA's insulation from public accountability with its turn towards its greatest opacity "in decades." While one might expect CIA officials to support greater secrecy around the organization, it's odd that …
fair.org/home/wsj-says-cia-chief-wouldnt-do-anything-inappropriate-despite-record-of-torture-and-coverup/

But we're diverse! NSA roasted over appropriating Pride Month, reminded of mass surveillance sins
rt.com | 2019-06-06
Efforts by the National Security Agency (NSA) to pose as diverse during Pride Month have attracted scorn and outrage on social media, where people have not forgotten about bulk spying on Americans and the world. | …
rt.com/usa/461254-nsa-pride-tweet-backlash/

Why it's necessary: Unite and fight against abortion bans
Sue Davis | workers.org | 2019-06-06
The criminal anti-abortion network in the U.S., praised and promoted by the racist, reactionary Don in the Oval Office, was hard at work the last two weeks of May. A Missouri abortion ban was signed into law on May 24. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a split decision in an . . . | Continue reading Why it's necessary: Unite and fight against abortion bans at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/06/06/why-its-necessary-unite-and-fight-against-abortion-bans/

The GOP's White Supremacy Now Has a Smoking Gun
Sonali Kolhatkar | commondreams.org | 2019-06-06
Immigration activists rally on April 23 outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. as the justices hear arguments over the Trump administration's plan to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/supreme_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/06/gops-white-supremacy-now-has-smoking-gun?cd-origin=rss

The Long Arm of the Bilderberg Group. Created by the CIA and MI6
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-06
Three Italians were invited to this year's meeting of the Bilderberg Group, which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, (30 May to 2 June). Another journalist was invited with Lili Gruber, the host of the TV channel La7, and now the …
globalresearch.ca/long-arm-bilderberg-group/5679805

How the U.S. Navy Sold the Vietnam War
Gareth Porter | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-06
Dr. Tom Dooley, whose best-selling book "Deliver Us From Evil" helped create a favorable climate of opinion for U.S. intervention in South Vietnam, has long been linked to legendary CIA officer Edward G. Lansdale and his black operations in …
globalresearch.ca/how-u-s-navy-sold-vietnam-war/5679662

Islamic State says it has moved into Mozambique, police say no
CGTN Africa | cgtn.com | 2019-06-06
The Islamic State group claims it was involved in an insurgent clash in Mozambique for the first time, but analysts expressed doubt and Mozambican police dismissed the claim outright. | According to SITE Intelligence, a company that monitors extremist activity, Islamic State issued a statement late Tuesday claiming involvement in an apparent gunfight with the Mozambique military in Cabo Delgado. | "The soldiers of the Caliphate were able to repulse an attack by the Crusader Mozambican army in Metubi village, in the Mocimboa area," said the statement, according to a SITE translation. | "They clashed with them w…
africa.cgtn.com/2019/06/06/islamic-state-says-it-has-moved-into-mozambique-police-say-no/

Instead of a US Peace Plan for the Middle East, How about a US Peace Plan for the US?
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-06
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo describes the Trump administration's plan for peace between Israel and Palestinian Arabs as "unexecutable." President Trump says Pompeo "may be right." Good! As addiction counselors say, the first step is admitting you have a problem. With addiction, the way out is not…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/06/instead-of-a-us-peace-plan-for-the-middle-east-how-about-a-us-peace-plan-for-the-us/

Venezuela: Pompeo Exposes Frustration Over Opposition Divisions as China, Russia Call for Non-Interference
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-06-06
The US Secretary of State claims efforts to unify the opposition have been "devilishly difficult."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14525

From Guatemala to Moscow to Washington, Neoliberalism and Privatization Driving Our Crises
John Buell | commondreams.org | 2019-06-06
These exculpatory views survived even amidst the elevation of Elliott Abrams, the war criminal architect of brutal Central American policy late last century. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/abrams_pompeo.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/06/guatemala-moscow-washington-neoliberalism-and-privatization-driving-our-crises?cd-origin=rss

Chelsea Manning's Coming of Age
Pamela Rafalow Grossman | progressive.org | 2019-06-06
In the new film "XY Chelsea," director Tim Travers Hawkins keeps the whistleblower's vulnerability front and center: "I hope she can flourish as a free woman."
progressive.org/dispatches/chelsea-manning-xy-chelsea-documentary-grossman-190606/

The global war on journalism
wsws.org | 2019-06-06
The arrest of Julian Assange has set a precedent for the state persecution of journalists, triggering police raids in Australia and France against reporters documenting government crimes and corruption.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/06/pers-j06.html

Corporate media have second thoughts about exiling Julian Assange from journalism
John O'Day | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-06
Corporate media dutifully laid the groundwork for the U.S. Department of Justice's escalating political persecution of the WikiLeaks founder, and set the stage for a renewed assault on a free and independent press by the Trump administration.
nationofchange.org/2019/06/06/corporate-media-have-second-thoughts-about-exiling-julian-assange-from-journalism/

Behind the US Espionage Act
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-06
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces 17 counts of violating the United States Espionage Act, for publishing material given to him by former US soldier Chelsea Manning. | The material included documents that exposed US war crimes and other material about Washington's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, which the military wanted to keep secret from the public. | The Espionage Act was passed in 1917 as the US entered the First World War. A product of wartime hysteria, it was first used against the Socialist Party (SP) and against anarchists and the anarcho-syndicalists of the Industrial Workers of the World, who op…
greenleft.org.au/content/behind-us-espionage-act

Corporate Media Will Regret Abandoning Julian Assange
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-06-06
After British police arrested Julian Assange on April 11, the first instinct of corporate journalists was to perform a line-drawing exercise. In so doing, corporate media dutifully laid the groundwork for the US Department of Justice's escalating political persecution of the WikiLeaks founder, and set the stage for a renewed assault on a free and independent press by the Trump administration. | Following the philosopher of science Karl Popper, I'll call this the problem of journalistic demarcation. Facing his own demarc…
truthdig.com/articles/corporate-media-will-regret-abandoning-julian-assange/

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture warns Julian Assange could die in prison
wsws.org | 2019-06-06
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture said in an Australian radio interview on June 1 that Julian Assange could die in jail if his persecution is not ended here and now.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/06/assa-j06.html

Corporate Media Have Second Thoughts About Exiling Julian Assange From Journalism
John O'Day | commondreams.org | 2019-06-06
The problem of journalistic demarcation is no less ideologically motivated and, through their effort to discredit Assange and WikiLeaks, corporate media have snugly aligned themselves with the contemporary brokers of US imperial power against a journalistic movement. (Photo: Matt Dunham / AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/assangeee.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/06/corporate-media-have-second-thoughts-about-exiling-julian-assange-journalism?cd-origin=rss

Hacking Dirty Government Secrets Is Not a Crime
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-06
British goon cops acting at the request of the United States government entered Ecuador's embassy in London, dragged out WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and prepared to ship him across the pond. After this event last month most of the mainstream media reacted with spiteful glee about Assange's predicament and relief that the Department of Justice…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/06/hacking-dirty-government-secrets-is-not-a-crime/

After Assange's Espionage Act Indictment, Police Move Against More Journalists for Publishing Classified Material
Joe Lauria | commondreams.org | 2019-06-06
"These raids are all about intimidating journalists and intimidating whistle blowers so that mistakes made by the Government, including potential crimes, by the military, remain covered up, remain secret, and don't fall in to the public domain." (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/messenger.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/06/after-assanges-espionage-act-indictment-police-move-against-more-journalists?cd-origin=rss

Cults of Impeachment
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-06
It is a giddy intoxicant, and making all who partake fall over in puddling nonsense. The Mueller Report is not turning out to be the cleansing agent any of its readers were hoping for. Originally encouraged to identify the cause behind Trumpland and its dark side, the agent of disaffection, the root of madness, it…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/06/cults-of-impeachment/

Trump's Tariff War Is Bad for Everyone But His Friends
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-06
Since time out of mind, presidents have deployed the "Hey, look over here!" tactic to distract the public from politically damaging stories. In less than three years, Donald Trump has raised the practice nearly to the level of performance art. His latest wingding over tariffs against Mexico, however, could have lasting repercussions both for his political standing and the national economy at large. | It began, as it so often has since 2017, with former special counsel Robert Mueller, who gave a nine-minute statement on Ma…
truthout.org/articles/trumps-tariff-war-is-bad-for-everyone-but-his-friends/

Technotyranny: The Iron-Fisted Authoritarianism of the Surveillance State
John W. Whitehead | counterpunch.org | 2019-06-06
"There will come a time when it isn't 'They're spying on me through my phone' anymore. Eventually, it will be 'My phone is spying on me.'" ‚Äï Philip K. Dick Red pill or blue pill? You decide. Twenty years after the Wachowskis' iconic 1999 film, The Matrix, introduced us to a futuristic world in which…
counterpunch.org/2019/06/06/technotyranny-the-iron-fisted-authoritarianism-of-the-surveillance-state/

Abortion Bans; S.F. Anti-Abortion Marches; Free Abortion on Demand
Register Peace & Freedom or Green | indybay.org | 2019-06-05
As the United States gets ready to join the backward countries of the world with a ban on abortion, we must ask, how did we get to this point? Why have the Democrats been promoting anti-abortion candidates? How did at least 5 anti-abortion Supreme Court justices get confirmed? Why didn't Democrat Obama who had a Democratic majority Congress in both houses in his first two years sign a law legalizing abortion so we would not have to depend on a pro-abortion majority in the Supreme Court? What kind of society is this that allows constant wars on women and the right to abortion? Why don't we have free abortion on de…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/06/02/18823702.php

Argentina's Top Court Upholds Glacier Law, Rules Against Mining
telesurenglish.net | 2019-06-05
Argentina's supreme court unanimously rejected Tuesday a challenge to the law brought by the Canadian miner Barrick Gold, Minera Argentina Gold, and San Juan's province, who attempted to topple the national Law prohibiting mining, oil and gas projects in glacier and in permafrost areas passed by the country's Congress in 2011. | RELATED: | Argentina Protests Gender Violence, Demand Right to Abort | "Miners have long marked this region for its rich gold, silver and copper deposits, a…
telesurenglish.net/news/Argentinas-Top-Court-Upholds-Glacier-Protection-Law-Rules-Against-Mining-Corporations-20190605-0015.html

Supreme Court of Colombia to Subpoena Santrich
plenglish.com | 2019-06-05
Bogota, Jun 5 (Prensa Latina) The Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia on Wednesday announced the decision to subpoena the leader of the Alternative Revolutionary Force of the Common (FARC) and congressman, Jesus Santrich.
www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=42834&SEO=supreme-court-of-colombia-to-subpoena-santrich

The EU Votes and the CIA Wins Again
Aidan O'Brien | globalresearch.ca | 2019-06-05
The European Union voted last month but not one of its 21st century war crimes and war criminals were a topic of conversation. The real possibility of a nuclear war between the EU and Russia wasn't an issue either. The | …
globalresearch.ca/eu-votes-cia-wins-again/5679587

Republicans Clash With Trump Over Tariffs on Mexican Imports
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-05
Mexican officials are meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today in Washington, D.C., to discuss President Trump's plan to impose a 5% tariff on all imported Mexican goods. Over time, tariffs could increase to as much as 25%. Trump announced tariffs over what he claims is Mexico's failure to stem the flow of Central American asylum seekers and migrants into the United States. Citing potentially devastating consequences to the U.S. economy, Senate Republicans defied the president Tuesday, announcing their opposition to the tariffs. We speak with Laura Carlsen, director of th…
truthout.org/video/republicans-clash-with-trump-over-tariffs-on-mexican-imports/

Pompeo and Trump say the US is ready for talks with Iran
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-06-05
but will Iran risk trusting them yet again? While less than a month ago everyone was concerned about the possibility of war breaking out in the Persian Gulf, American policy toward Iran now seems to have shifted once again. While in Japan, Trump stated that the US has no plans to bring down the …
uwidata.com/3769-pompeo-and-trump-say-the-us-is-ready-for-talks-with-iran/

Republicans Clash with Trump over Proposed Tariffs of Up to 25% on All Mexican Imports
MAIL | democracynow.org | 2019-06-05
Mexican officials are meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today in Washington, D.C., to discuss President Trump's plan to impose a 5% tariff on all imported Mexican goods. Over time, tariffs could increase to as much as 25%. Trump announced tariffs over what he claims is Mexico's failure to stem the flow of Central American asylum seekers and migrants into the United States. Citing potentially devastating consequences to the U.S. economy, Senate Republicans defied the president Tuesday, announcing their opposition to the tariffs. We speak with Laura Carlsen, director of the M…
www.democracynow.org/2019/6/5/republicans_clash_with_trump_over_proposed

US: Tape Shows Pompeo's Real Opinion on Venezuelan Opposition
telesurenglish.net | 2019-06-05
The Venezuelan opposition is divided, a fact which has presented challenges to the U.S. government in their efforts to topple President Nicolas Maduro, admitted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a secret recording leaked Wednesday by the Washington Post. | RELATED: | Sanction to Kill: How US Blockade Is Taking Venezuelans' Lives | "Our conundrum, which is to keep the opposition united, has proven devilishly difficult," Pompeo added during a closed-door meeting in New York last we…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Tape-Exposes-Pompeos-Real-Opinion-on-Venezuelan-Opposition-They-Plot-for-Themselves-20190605-0025.html

Journalists now fair game as police raid public broadcaster following US hounding of Assange
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2019-06-05
In April, US authorities issued an extradition request for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, with warnings from The Canary and other m…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/06/05/journalists-now-fair-game-as-police-raid-state-broadcaster-following-us-hounding-of-assange/

After Assange's Espionage Act Indictment, Police Move Against More Journalists for Publishing Classified Material
consortiumnews.com | 2019-06-05
Less than two months after the arrest of journalist Julian Assange, and two weeks after his indictment under the Espionage Act, emboldened governments have sent the police after journalists who've challenged the state. Joe Lauria reports. By Joe Lauria in… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/06/05/after-assanges-espionage-act-indictment-police-move-against-more-journalists-for-publishing-classified-material/

Following US Lead on Assange, Australia Goes on Assault Spree Against Free Press
Alexander Rubinstein | mintpressnews.com | 2019-06-05
SYDNEY — Since the United States charged journalist Julian Assange with 17 counts of Espionage Act violations — charges that could see Assange facing the death penalty — Australia appears to be following America's lead and cracking down on free press, particularly journalists and publications that publish government secrets. | Australia — Assange's nation of origin and a Five Eyes member — has conducted two raids in as many days. The first was on Tuesday, when Aus…
mintpressnews.com/australia-assange-assault-free-press/259000/

Corporate Media Have Second Thoughts About Exiling Julian Assange From Journalism
John O'Day | fair.org | 2019-06-05
"Democracy dies in darkness," reads the Washington Post slogan–though apparently sometimes it's good to put people in prison for exposing government wrongdoing ( 4/11/19). | After British police arrested Julian Assange on April 11, the first instinct of corporate journalists was to perform a line-drawing exercise. In so doing, corporate media dutifully laid the groundw…
fair.org/home/corporate-media-have-second-thoughts-about-exiling-julian-assange-from-journalism/