Daily Archives: August 19, 2020

2020-08-19: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-08-19). Trump's suggestion of a pardon for Edward Snowden meets US intelligence community backlash. wsws.org Democrats and Republicans with close ties to the intelligence agencies have launched a campaign of opposition after the president said he would look into the case of the former NSA contractor who exposed illegal mass surveillance.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-19). Intelligence forces dismantle big ammunition smuggling gang. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — Iran's Intelligence forces have identified and dismantled a big arms and ammunition smuggling band in Alborz Province.

_____ (2020-08-18). 'What Happens If Julian Assange Dies In A British Prison?'. popularresistance.org For Assange however, justice delayed is not only justice denied. With global attention shifting from Wuhan to Washington, from Minneapolis to Lebanon, the father of two young children has spent another five months in incarceration without access to lawyers or family visitations. It follows what is approaching ten years of what the United Nations has repeatedly labeled arbitrary detention — the British government has so far failed to respond to three separate U.N. reports and correspondences on the matter. | Serena Tinari, a Switzerland-based investigative journalist, condemned Britain's handling of the case…

Tom Coburg (2020-08-18). Assange extradition proceedings are illegal and should end, 100s of lawyers tell government. thecanary.co 154 lawyers and legal academics worldwide and hundreds more represented by their professional associations have written to UK government heads to request that extradition proceedings against

RT (2020-08-18). Not with a bang, but a whimper: Final 'Russiagate' report provides 'BREATHTAKING' evidence of… nothing. rt.com A new Senate report resurrects the corpse of 'Russiagate' and promises new evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. However, it reached its so-called conclusions by relying on some literal fake news. | The Senate Intelligence Committee released its fifth and final

RT (2020-08-18). Nothing better to do, Mike? Pompeo 'gotchas' RT by revealing his nonsensical Iran quote is ACTUALLY by OBAMA. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo apparently thought that 'revealing' a nonsensical quote he posted about Iran sanctions was actually authored by President Barack Obama somehow invalidated RT's coverage of reactions to it. | RT.com "got it wrong again," Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday, saying that it was President Barack Obama who made a statement we attributed to him. "He told Congress, rightly, that the US could snapback sanctions on Iran anytime and no country could block it. It is still true now. I'll wait for your correction." | Hey

teleSUR (2020-08-18). Colombia: Uribe Resigns Senate Seat. telesurenglish.net Colombia former president Alvaro Uribe renounced his seat in the Colombian Senate on Tuesday amidst an inquiry against him for witness manipulation. | RELATED: | Uribe sent a resignation letter addressed to Senate president Arturo Char Chaljud, alleging the Supreme Court does not offer legal guarantees in the judicial process. | "The magistrate, José Luis Barcelo, called me to inquire more than two years ago, in a pro…

teleSUR (2020-08-18). China Demands US To Cancel Measures Against TikTok. telesurenglish.net China's Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected the announcement to ban TikTok and WeChat in the United States made by President Donald Trump's administration. | RELATED: | He said that TikTok follows the U.S. regulations, its managers are U.S. citizens, and its servers are outside of China. | Zhao also affirmed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has confirmed that China…

Micah Lee (2020-08-18). How Northern California's Police Intelligence Center Tracked Protests. zcomm.org The center sent daily emails listing upcoming protests to thousands of local police and circulated inflammatory online posts…

yenisafak (2020-08-18). Netanyahu says UAE deal does not include sale of F-35 jets. yenisafak.com Israel said Tuesday that a deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not include the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf state.In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the agreement did not include "any approval by Israel on any arms deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates".Netanyahu said he directed Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Drammer on Aug. 3 to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to convey an explicit message of Israel's opposition to selling the F-35 and other advanced weapon systems to any country in the Middle East."The peac…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-18). Deep State Smashes Journalist for Truth-Telling. thealtworld.com The link I posted to the ShadowGate Documentary— | I recommend that you watch it and save it. | There is a full press attempt underway to keep the documentary from the public. Youtube lied that the documentary violated their policy on hate speech. There is no hate in the documentary. The film violated social media's policy of withholding truth from the people. | The documentary presents two whistleblower…

Alan MacLeod (2020-08-17). Julian Assange Court Case Delayed Again in Bizarre Circumstances. globalresearch.ca "I have never in my career faced so much difficulty attempting to trial monitor as in Julian Assange's case." — Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders. | *** | There were bizarre scenes at Westminster Magistrates' …

Alan MacLeod (2020-08-17). US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures. thealtworld.com According to the State Department, it was the world that was wrong, not Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the decision to reject their "reasonable resolution" and side with "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" as "inexcusable." | MPN— The latest chapter in the sometimes Orwellian world of Middle Eastern politics occurred this weekend, as the Trump administration, which unilaterally

WSWS (2020-08-17). Prominent lawyers and legal associations demand Assange's freedom. wsws.org The 152 legal experts are unambiguous: the campaign against Assange has been based on gross violations of law and he must be immediately released from prison.

Thomas Scripps (2020-08-17). The Show Trial of Julian Assange: A Cruel and Pseudolegal Farce. globalresearch.ca Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Julian Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death for revealing the crimes of …

_____ (2020-08-17). International Lawyers Make Urgent Appeal To British Government. popularresistance.org We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange's fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. We call on you to act in accordance with national and international law, human rights and the rule of law by bringing an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings and granting Mr. Assange his long overdue freedom — freedom from torture, arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, and political persecution. We remind the UK government that the right to a fair trial is a corner…

RT (2020-08-17). US intelligence agencies have another bounty case in Afghanistan, alleging Iran paid the Taliban to attack American forces. rt.com It turns out Russia isn't the only country that US intelligence agencies are anonymously accusing of paying bounties to Taliban fighters to attack US troops in Afghanistan. Another bogeyman, Iran, is allegedly to blame this time. | A foreign government

John Kendall Hawkins (2020-08-17). Trumps' Coy Snowden Mystery: The Kiss of Death. counterpunch.org Had we but world enough and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime. — Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (1681) I'm tired of the bullshit. Now that I've joined Twittersphere I've been getting magic bullets tweeting me all day. Up and to the Left. Some Mark Chapman is said to be disappointed in how

WSWS (2020-08-17). Indiana Rank-and-File Safety Committee demands reinstatement of whistleblower at Faurecia Gladstone plant. wsws.org The newly-formed Faurecia Gladstone Rank and File Safety Committee is also demanding an immediate halt on the part of the company and the local union to all forms of intimidation and harassment.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-08-16). Dems Urged to Say, 'Yes, Snowden Should Be Pardoned' After Trump Floats Possibility. commondreams.org The comment from the president prompted fresh praise for the former intelligence contractor who "blew the whistle on illegal government activity kept secret for years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/snowden-trump-pardon-suggestion.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-08-16). No Longer Leader of the Free World: Trump Admin. Humiliated at UN over Iran Arms Embargo. commondreams.org U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends Security Council meeting at U.N. Headquarters in New York on September 20, 2019. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran-resolution-fail.jpg

RT (2020-08-16). 'This is who you are now, GOP': Obama security advisor Rice freaks out over Snowden pardon idea, is roasted for right-wing stance. rt.com The fact they are even considering a pardon for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shows how low the Republican party has sunk under Donald Trump, believes Susan Rice, former national security advisor in the Obama administration. | The possibility that criminal charges against Snowden may be dropped was floated by the US president this week. The idea triggered an outpouring of public support,

RT (2020-08-16). 'Seems to be a split decision': Trump says he'll take 'a very good look' at idea of pardoning Snowden. rt.com For the second time in a week, US President Donald Trump has indicated that he might be considering pardoning former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, noting that the issue has long transcended party lines. | Asked if he wants to pardon Snowden at a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday, Trump responded that while he was "not that aware of the Snowden situation," he would "start looking at it." | Trump, who once labelled the former CIA contractor turned-whistleblower a "traitor," argued that there is no consensus within the American political establishment on the matter. | "There are many people.

sputniknews (2020-08-16). Israel Closer to US 'Clean Network' by Abandoning Chinese 5G Tech, Report Claims. sputniknews.com Reports suggesting that the Trump administration is urging Tel Aviv to block China from the development of 5G infrastructure in Israel emerged in late May, falling in line with Washington's confrontation with Chinese tech giant Huawei over its alleged connections with Beijing intelligence.

_____ (2020-08-16). Does the CIA Actually "Control" the Mainstream Media Like Some Claim? strategic-culture.org The CIA could never (and doesn't) regulate every movie, video game and YouTube video. But influencing and observing certain VIPs is a much easier potential task. Watch the video and read more in the

yenisafak (2020-08-16). Iran says to export arms once UN embargo lifted. yenisafak.com "Iran will export and sell weapons" once the UN-mandated embargo is lifted, Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told reporters on the sidelines of the National Defense Industry Day in Tehran.He said Iran will "use all its capacities to meet its arms requirements" by exporting weapons after the 13-year embargo expires in October.On Saturday, the UN Security Council turned down a US draft to extend an arms embargo on Iran.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had urged the UNSC members to vote for the move, said the Council's "failure to act decisively" was "inexcusable".US officials accuse Iran of supplying weapons…

sputniknews (2020-08-15). Trump on Pardoning Edward Snowden: 'I'm Going to Look at It'. sputniknews.com Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who became a whistleblower, revealing the illegal spying practices conducted by US intelligence agencies, has been living in Russia since 2013. He is wanted in the United States on charges of espionage and treason.

yenisafak (2020-08-15). Who is the spymaster suing Saudi crown prince? yenisafak.com He obtained a BA in the Arabic language and literature from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, a bachelor of science in security sciences in 1979 from King Fahd Security College, and a Master of Science in computer science from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.He also obtained a PhD in computer engineering and artificial intelligence in 1998 from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.He is a former Saudi minister and intelligence officer who currently lives in exile in Canada and Riyadh is seeking to arrest him over charge of wasting public money.- CareerWhen King Salman bin Abdu…

sputniknews (2020-08-14). Pompeo Regrets UNSC Rejected 'Reasonable' Resolution on Extension of Iran Arms Embargo. sputniknews.com Iran has faced arms a United States embargo since 2007, now set to expire in two months under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US unilaterally withdrew in May 2018.