(2020-02-28). Second time's a charm? Trump nominates Texas congressman Ratcliffe as DNI chief AGAIN. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has tapped Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to be the new Director of National Intelligence, pending Senate confirmation. Ratcliffe had bowed out of the nomination last summer. | The surprise announcement, praising Ratcliffe as "an outstanding man of great talent," came on Friday afternoon as Trump departed Washington for a campaign rally in South Carolina. | I am pleased to announce the nomination of
(2020-02-28). Trump announces US-Taliban peace deal, 'path forward to end war' in Afghanistan. rt.com 
President Donald Trump says the US is about to sign agreements with the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan that could provide a way for withdrawal of troops from that country after almost 20 years of war. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed to Qatar, where he will witness the signing of an agreement with the Taliban in Doha, while Defense Secretary Mark Esper will "issue a joint declaration" with the government in Kabul, Trump announced on Friday. | If the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan live up to these commitments, we will have a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and…
(2020-02-28). 'Not noble to cheer human suffering': Tehran shreds US offer of 'help' with coronavirus as Pompeo vows to 'sustain' sanctions. rt.com 
Washington's offer to assist Tehran with its COVID-19 outbreak is pure hypocrisy, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, condemning the top US diplomat after he promised to keep up crippling sanctions on Iran while vowing to send aid. | While US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers on Friday that the administration had extended an offer to help Tehran beat back the lethal virus, he couldn't help but take jabs at "the regime," insisting Washington would "sustain [its] pressure" through a devastating sanctions campaign — at one point going as far as to say that Iranians were "thankful" to suffer under…
(2020-02-28). US sees 'significant reduction' in Afghan violence, prepares to sign historic deal with Taliban. rt.com 
The US has seen a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan during the past six days, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. The statement comes the day before Washington hopes to sign an American troops withdrawal deal with the Taliban. | "We have seen just these last six days a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan," Pompeo told lawmakers in Washington. | "We are watching closely to see if the Islamic Republic of Iran begins to take even more active measures… that undermine our efforts at peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan," he said. | Pompeo's remark suggested that if the dr…
(2020-02-28). Headlines for February 28, 2020. democracynow.org California Monitoring 8,400 People for Coronavirus as Fears of Pandemic Grow, Syrian Airstrike Kills 33 Turkish Soldiers in Idlib, Escalating Tensions, New Justice Department Task Force Seeks to Strip Naturalized Immigrants of Citizenship, Joe Biden's Campaign Walks Back False Claims of Arrest in 1970s South Africa, Democratic Superdelegates Overwhelmingly Oppose Bernie Sanders Campaign, Mike Bloomberg Refuses to Apologize for Spying on Muslims, As NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg Called for Cuts to Social Security "Ponzi Scheme", ProPublica: Mike Bloomberg Advised Billionaire Sackler Family on Opioid Crisis, Emails Sho…
(2020-02-28). Julian Assange's father demands immediate bail for imprisoned son. wsws.org John Shipton outlined his son's decade-long history of arbitrary detention in the UK.
(2020-02-28). Assange Extradition: Can a French Touch Pierce a Neo-Orwellian Farce? globalresearch.ca It's quite fitting that the — imperially pre-determined — judicial fate of Julian Assange is being played out in Britain, the home of George Orwell. | As chronicled by the painful, searing
(2020-02-28). Your Man in the Public Gallery — The Assange Hearing Day 3. globalresearch.ca In yesterday's proceedings in court, the prosecution adopted arguments so stark and apparently unreasonable I have been fretting on how to write them up in a way that does not seem like caricature or unfair exaggeration on my part. What …
(2020-02-28). Judge Orders Assange Held in Glass Box During Extradition Trial. mintpressnews.com In the United Kingdom, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces extradition to the U.S., a magistrate court judge decided he must remain isolated in a glass box at the back of the courtroom.
(2020-02-28). Julian Assange, the Glass Cage and Heaven in a Rage: Day Four of Extradition Hearings. globalresearch.ca Thursday, February 27, Woolwich Crown Court. The first round of extradition hearings regarding Julian Assange's case concluded a day early, to recommence on May 18th. It ended on an insensible note very much in keeping with the …
(2020-02-28). "The working class needs to demand that Assange is released, not that the ruling class do it on their behalf" wsws.org World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to some of those attending the public rally held by the Socialist Equality Party (UK) in defence of Julian Assange on Sunday in London.
(2020-02-28). Australia: Workers and youth call for intensification of Assange and Manning defence campaign. wsws.org Queensland students and workers in Parramatta denounce the escalating government attacks on democratic rights.
(2020-02-28). Cruel and unusual: Julian Assange's extradition hearing begins. nationofchange.org It's a slippery slope and in a world of so-called 'fake news' could have negative consequences for journalists and whistle-blowers trying to speak truth to power far into the future.
(2020-02-28). Judge rules Assange cannot sit with lawyers during extradition hearing. wsws.org The first week of the extradition hearing in USA v Julian Assange ended yesterday at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court with Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejecting a submission from Assange's lawyers that he be allowed to sit with them in court.
(2020-02-28). Election 2020: Those Meddling Kids … counterpunch.org According to selected members of the "US intelligence community" ("selected" for their loyalty to, and willingness to promote the line of, the Democratic Party establishment) Vladimir Putin and the Russian government just love them some Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Can't get enough of 'em. If November is a Trump/Sanders shoot-out, the Kremlin wins either
(2020-02-28). Further Erosion of American Civil Liberties. Why Renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. globalresearch.ca As a mid March deadline approaches, the mad scramble is on for Congress to rubber stamp a 'clean' renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( At every opportunity since 2001, Congress has used the re-authorization …
(2020-02-28). Immunity for Killings by Immigration Police. counterpunch.org 
The American immigration police state continues to grow more tyrannical with each passing day. The latest example involves the U.S. Supreme Court, which has just issued a ruling in a case that effectively gives the Border Patrol a license to kill Mexican citizens. And guess which two magic words the Court used to justify its
(2020-02-28). Pentagon Papers Case Vindicates Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca On June 30, 1971, the US Supreme Court ruled that the NYT and Washington Post were legally permitted to publish what's known as the Pentagon Papers — material leaked by Daniel Ellsberg. | Six justices concurred, a per curiam statement saying …
(2020-02-28). Punishing the Free Speech of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca "Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech." — First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | In the oral argument of the famous U.S. Supreme Court cases known collectively as the Pentagon Papers Case, the late Justice William O. …
(2020-02-28). Sonia Sotomayor Just Issued a Serious Warning About the Supreme Court. thenation.com Sonia Sotomayor Just Issued a Serious Warning About the Supreme Court…
(2020-02-28). If We Don't Reform the Supreme Court, Nothing Else Will Matter. thenation.com If We Don't Reform the Supreme Court, Nothing Else Will Matter…
(2020-02-28). "I Don't Think That You are Telling Us the Truth": House Democrats Grill Pompeo on Iran and Coronavirus. commondreams.org "You can't hide behind classification on this one because you can't classify something that doesn't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1203951459.jpg …
(2020-02-28). Protesters demand Julian Assange be set free. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-28). Relentless campaign to smear Assange. greenleft.org.au 
The public broadly support Assange, but much of this support is timid, passive and unlikely to strike fear in the authorities and deter them from committing further violence against him. | This is no accident. While typical reporta…
(2020-02-28). Cult-Like Ignorance is Death: Trump and the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org 
Trump's lies, his disparagement of science and scientists, his claim that non-political civil servants are part of the deep state, his lack of credibility, his penchant for political opportunism over the needs of the nation, his pathological embrace of hyperbole, his delight in creating confusion, and his mistaking loyalty for public service puts the nation
(2020-02-27). China's Foreign Ministry summons US embassy official over Pompeo's threat to eject Chinese reporters, promises response. rt.com 
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called for a meeting with a US embassy official after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to expel Chinese reporters working in the US, as the two sides become embroiled in a "press war." | "In recent years, the US government has adopted various restrictions on Chinese news organizations in the United States," said Hua Chunying, head of the Foreign Ministry's news department. | "If the US takes further harassment and restriction measures against Chinese news organizations in the US, the Chinese side will certainly respond further." | The stern statement comes after the T…
(2020-02-27). Is the World about to witness the end of the war in Afghanistan? mronline.org 
Neither the Indian political leadership nor the "deep state" seems to grasp that the geopolitics of the South Asian region is transforming with far-reaching consequences. |
(2020-02-27). Whistleblower cops accuse DC police of downgrading crimes to look better on stats. rt.com 
Crime rates in Washington DC may be much worse than official reports indicate, as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) routinely miss-classifies felonies as misdemeanors, skewing results, two whistle-blowing cops allege. | In at least two cases, internal police The first reportedly happened in August last year. A woman asked a man outside a liquor store to buy her some water, and h…
(2020-02-27). "The fight for Assange's freedom requires the political mobilisation of the working class" wsws.org This speech was delivered by Oscar Grenfell, a leading member of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) to a public rally in defence of Julian Assange, held in London on Sunday.
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange Against the Imperium. counterpunch.org The second day of extradition hearings against Julian Assange and by virtue of that, WikiLeaks, saw Mark Summers QC deliver a formidable serve for the defence at Woolwich Crown Court. "It's difficult to conceive of a clearer example of an extradition request that boldly and blatantly misstates the facts as they are known to be
(2020-02-27). John Pilger: Llegó el momento para que Julian Assange sea liberado, no traicionado. thegrayzone.com La verdad es que Australia podía haber rescatado a Julian Assange, y todavía puede. Los líderes de su tierra natal…
(2020-02-27). Montreal: Demonstration outside US consulate demands freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org Speakers denounced the persecution of Assange as a major threat to democratic rights, exposed the complicity of Canada's ruling elite and stressed the importance of a global mobilization of the working class to secure his freedom.
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange condemns court for preventing him from speaking to lawyers. wsws.org WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange issued a defiant protest in court yesterday, opposing the flagrant abuse of his legal rights in extradition proceedings brought against him by the United States government.
(2020-02-27). Free Assange and Manning! SEP and IYSSE to hold demonstration in Colombo. wsws.org Assange and Manning are being persecuted because they dared to expose US war crimes and government corruption.
(2020-02-27). Should Journalists Be Punished For Exposing War Crimes? zcomm.org Source: Caitlinjohnstone.com This is a speech I gave yesterday at a demonstration for Assange with the Socialist Equality Party Australia. Tomorrow in the UK a judge will start the process of answering a very important question. It's a question that many of us knew was the heart of this debate back in 2010, ten years ago,
(2020-02-27). Assange is a Political Prisoner and by Law Cannot Be Extradited. telesurenglish.net The charges brought by the United States against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange are purely political and the extradition to the U.S. is not permitted by law, the Australian journalist's defense said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Julian Assange, 48, could receive a sentence of up to 175 years in prison in the United States on charges of espionage and computer hacking, "but these crimes are purely political," the lawyer for…
(2020-02-27). SF Demands Free Julian Assange & Goes Into UK Consulate Building Lobby. indybay.org As part of world day of action to Free Julian Assange activists rallied in San Francisco and then briefly occupied the UK building lobby.
(2020-02-27). Prosecution in Assange Extradition Hearing: US-UK Treaty Does Not Apply To Wikileaks' Publisher. commondreams.org As his defense team argues U.S. effort to get their hands on Assange is clearly political in nature, the defendant complains to court he is being prevented from meeting privately to consult with his lawyers. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/free_assange_extradition.jpg …
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange, Political Offences and Legal Restraints: Day Three of Extradition Hearings. globalresearch.ca Wednesday, February 26, Woolwich Crown Court. Today, the focus shifted to the protagonist himself and the nature of the Julian Assange, whose …
(2020-02-27). Bernie Sanders and the Military Industrial Complex. Bernie 2.0. globalresearch.ca No one on the left was more critical of Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential run than late Black Agenda Report Editor Bruce Dixon. However, after Bernie's speech announcing that he planned to run again this year, Bruce asked me, …
(2020-02-27). Syria: "Moderate Rebels" or "Intelligence Assets"? globalresearch.ca "Moderates" never existed except as an "intelligence" agency narrative to protect and arm all the terrorists. "Rebels" never existed except as an "intelligence" agency ploy to falsely portray a Regime Change war as a "revolution" or a "civil war". | Prof. …
(2020-02-27). National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood—How the US military and CIA go about their propaganda operations. wsws.org The book, by Matthew Alford and Tom Secker, presents extensive evidence that US government departments and agencies use multiple means to manipulate content and even block production of Hollywood films.
(2020-02-27). Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties — from LGBTQ equality to reproductive freedom and immigrants' rights. Earlier in the term, the ACLU had two cases asking whether workers can be fired for being LGBTQ. On March 2, we will be arguing a case on immigrants' rights, and we have filed or will file friend-of-the-court briefs in major cases involving reproductive freedom, contraceptive access, and religious freedom. | We sat down with David | Cole, the ACLU's national legal director, to discuss what's in store for the…
(2020-02-27). Indian Telecom Operators Urge Government to Ease Taxes on Statutory Dues. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India's apex court had ordered telecom service operators to shell out statutory dues on account of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) to the tune of $21 billion. The Supreme Court of India had also criticized the Federal Government for delays in the implementation of its order in October 2019.
(2020-02-27). Assange Hearing: US Government Claims it Doesn't Matter if Alleged Offences Are 'Political'. sputniknews.com Barry Pollack, Julian Assange's US-based lawyer, branded as "Orwellian" and "frivolous" claims by prosecutors that while the US government can seek the WikiLeaks founder's extradition under the Anglo-US Treaty, the publisher can't rely on any protection contained within the very same treaty.
(2020-02-26). 'Just leave': Afghanistan withdrawal is no-brainer, but 'deep state' controls US foreign policy, says ex-Virginia lawmaker. rt.com 
A truce between US troops and the Taliban in Afghanistan could result in American forces finally exiting the country, but there are powerful interests that want the war to continue, former Virginia senator Richard Black told RT. | The week-long ceasefire agreement between the two foes appears to be holding, and could pave the way for further negotiations that could lead to a withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan — some 20 years after the US invasion in October 2001. But pulling out from the country is far easier than Washington makes it seem, Black, a retired state lawmaker and veteran, told RT America…
(2020-02-26). Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving. counterpunch.org All smears are boomerang smears. That is why anyone worth a damn does not engage in it. That goes for the Russia-Gaters, the left/right smears on Gabbard, the years of left/right smears on Assange, the attacks on the Green Party and now the Russia narrative attacks on Sanders. Falling into line with the secret police
(2020-02-26). Persecuted journalist Assange handcuffed, stripped naked on first day of extradition trial. wsws.org As proceedings were due to begin, a court official told WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson that he was barred from the public gallery.
(2020-02-26). Julian Assange Against the Imperium: Day Two of Extradition Hearings. dissidentvoice.org The second day of extradition hearings against Julian Assange and by virtue of that, WikiLeaks, saw Mark Summers QC deliver a formidable serve for the defence at Woolwich Crown Court. "It's difficult to conceive of a clearer example of an extradition request that boldly and blatantly misstates the facts as they are known to be …
(2020-02-26). Your Man in the Public Gallery — Assange Hearing Day 2. globalresearch.ca This afternoon Julian's Spanish lawyer, Baltasar Garzon, left court to return to Madrid. On the way out he naturally stopped to shake hands with his client, proffering his fingers through the narrow slit in the bulletproof glass cage. Assange …