2019-08-04: News Headlines

Staff (2019-08-04). Malaysia's Forgotten Rohingya Refugees. therealnews.com TRNN's Jaisal Noor talks to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who are now living in Malaysia, for whom existence is resistance…

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-04). Another Failed Ceasefire in Syria. globalresearch.ca Countless ceasefires throughout years of Obama's war, now Trump's, agreed to by US-supported terrorists, were breached straightaway — government forces falsely blamed for their actions. | This time is following the earlier pattern. Once again, jihadists violated the agreement, surprising no …

Staff (2019-08-04). Former Bush Administration Insider Reflects on the Failure of the Iraq War. truthout.org | | "There was a long history of the CIA's incompetence in trying to get rid of Saddam Hussein," says retired Col. Lawrence Wilkerson. | Looking back at the march to war in Iraq, Colonel Wilkerson, who served as the chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002-2005, continues to be unwavering in his criticism of the actors involved. Sixteen years after the invasion, the institutional problems that metastasized then not only predated the George W. Bush administration but conti…

Rossen Vassilev Jr. (2019-08-04). Is the Endless Iraq Conflict Finally Over? globalresearch.ca The First Gulf War (1990-1991) | How did U.S. military intervention in Iraq—the wealthiest Arab country in the 1970s—begin? The First Gulf War started in August 1990, when Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein's army occupied neighboring Kuwait. The Iraqi dictator invaded …

Aaron Maté (2019-08-04). Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay. thegrayzone.com Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…

Tony Cartalucci (2019-08-04). US-backed Opposition Prime Suspects in Thai Bombings. globalresearch.ca Several small bombs detonated across Bangkok on Friday, August 2, amid a meeting between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the US, China, and Russia. | There were several injuries reported, but no deaths. | Despite a Western media deliberately feigning …

International Labor Solidarity Committee of D (2019-08-04). Doro-Chiba Labor Comm On Growing Threat Of Dictatorship, Xenophobia & War. indybay.org The Labor Solidarity Committee of Japan Railway Workers Union Doro-Chiba statment on the growing threat of dictatorship, xenophobia and imperialist war.

Leon Kunstenaar (2019-08-04). Code Pink Action On The Sausalito Ferry. indybay.org

unitedEditor (2019-08-03). Iran's Interests in China's One Belt One Road Policy. uwidata.com The Chinese economy has recently boosted its foreign exchange earnings and substantially increased its currency reserves. The increase in China's foreign exchange reserves and resources has provided the government with the opportunity to become one of the major actors in the supply of international relations and the global economy. China is one of the emerging …

RT (2019-08-03). A $32mn nothingburger: Justice Dept bill comes due for Russiagate costs. rt.com Nearly two years of fruitlessly hunting for collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government cost the country $31.7 million, the Justice Department has revealed.

The Canary (2019-08-03). Russian opposition figure detained ahead of Moscow protest. thecanary.co A leading opposition figure has been detained by Moscow police as she was heading to an unauthorised protest against the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from the city council elections.Lyubov Sobol, who is one of the election hopefuls rejected from the ballot, was detained on Saturday in central Moscow and taken away in a police van.Activists intend to go ahead with the unauthorised protest (AP)The attempted rally comes a week after police detained nearly 1,400 protesters, beating some of them with truncheons.Despite repeated warnings that police would take active measures against a protest on…

splcenter (2019-08-03). Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy. splcenter.org In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-08-03). A Major Conventional War Against Iran Is an Impossibility. Crisis within the US Command Structure. globalresearch.ca What both the media and military analysts fail to acknowledge is that US CENTCOM's forward Middle East headquarters at the al-Udeid military base close to Doha de facto "lies in enemy territory". Since the May 2017 split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Qatar has become a staunch ally of Iran…

Peter Koenig (2019-08-03). The Western Alliance is Falling Apart. dissidentvoice.org Ever since Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2018, the winds have changed. While his predecessors, though generally leaning eastwards, have often wavered between the US and the China orbit, Khan is in the process of clearly defining his alliances with the east, in particular China. This is for the …

Israel Shahak (2019-08-03). "Greater Israel": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing wars on Syria and Iraq, the war on Yemen, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East…

Staff (2019-08-03). War Is Hell. Why Are We Waging an Endless One? truthout.org | | Friday, August 2, marked the 29th anniversary of Operation Desert Shield, the military action that heralded the onset of the Gulf War in Iraq. That conflict, shifting from one iteration to the next, never ended. | Desert Shield became Desert Storm, which then became a long, violent police action under the Clinton administration. During that period, sanctions against Iraq were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children. Smal…

Olivia Rosane (2019-08-03). 1 dead, 5 injured in second Enbridge pipeline explosion this year. nationofchange.org A natural gas pipeline owned by Canadian company Enbridge exploded in Kentucky early Thursday, sending flames 300 feet into the sky, killing one woman and sending five people to the hospital, CBS News reported. The blast was so strong it showed up on radar. | "It was like an atomic bomb went off, basical…

Staff (2019-08-03). As the Far Right Goes Global, So Do Anti-BDS Bills. truthout.org | | Israeli politics have moved into uncharted territory over the past several months, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself unable to form a coalition large enough to claim victory in last spring's elections. However, even as the Israeli state enters into political turmoil at home, it is becoming increasingly immune to criticism from the internat…

Yves Engler (2019-08-03). United Church of Canada should Come Clean on Anti-Palestinian Accord. dissidentvoice.org Toronto church Trinity-St. Paul's shameful suppression of a Palestinian youth cultural event highlights anti-Palestinian rot festering in the United Church of Canada. It ought to also shine a light on a little discussed anti-Palestinian accord UCC leaders signed with Israel lobby groups five decades ago. Under pressure from B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Defence League …

teleSUR (2019-08-03). US Defense Official Wants to Deploy Missiles to Asia. telesurenglish.net U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper stated on stated on Saturday that he is in favor of deploying ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia relatively soon, a day after the United States withdrew from a landmark arms control treaty. | RELATED: | China Vows to Retaliate if Trump Imposes New Tariffs | These comments by Esper come just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap new sanctions against China. | "Yeah, I would like to," Esper said, when asked whether h…

Fight Back (2019-08-03). Trump escalates trade war with China. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, July 31, President Trump tweeted that he would be imposing new tariffs, or taxes, on the $300 billion of Chinese goods not covered by his 25% tariffs. U.S. stocks took an immediate dive, giving up all of their 300-point gain to drop 280 points for the day. They continued to fall on Friday, leading to the worst week for U.S. stocks all year. | Despite what Trump says, tariffs are taxes that are paid by U.S. importers. Up to now, most of the Chinese goods placed under heavy tariffs have not been consumer goods. But the new tariffs mainly hit consumer goods such as cell phones, consumer e…

susan_p (2019-08-03). Humanitarian crisis in Maxmur refugee camp. greenleft.org.au The Maxmur (Makhmour) refugee camp, in Iraqi Kurdistan (Bashur/Southern Kurdistan), is home to over 13,000 Kurdish refugees and is located in a town 60 kilometres south-west of the capital, Erbil. Many of the camp's residents were forced to flee their homes in 1993-1994 as the Turkish state pursued a brutal campaign of aggression against the Kurdish people, destroying thousands of villages and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. | In August 2014, as ISIS was overrunning large parts of Iraq and Syria, the terrorist organisation targeted Maxmur as a step to advancing on Erbil. ISIS invaded and occupied the…

WSWS (2019-08-03). Rashida Tlaib defends Democratic Party collaboration with Trump on immigration. wsws.org The Democratic congresswoman, a member of the DSA, demands "more training" for agents inflicting gross human rights violations.

WSWS (2019-08-03). US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war. wsws.org The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.

WSWS (2019-08-03). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

WSWS (2019-08-03). Trump's trade war measures hit the financial markets. wsws.org In its analysis of the latest turn in the trade war, the South China Morning Post said China had to decide either to a walk away from the negotiations or make major concessions to the US.

Manlio Dinucci (2019-08-03). Affossato il Trattato Inf, in arrivo nuovi euromissili. globalresearch.ca Il segretario di stato Mike Pompeo ha annunciato ieri, dopo sei mesi di sospensione, il definitivo ritiro degli Stati uniti dal Trattato sulle Forze nucleari intermedie (Inf), accusando la Russia di averlo ´deliberatamente violato, mettendo a rischio i supremi interessi …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2019-08-02). Prohibiting Maintenance of Tanker Off Yemeni Coast, Saudis Risk Explosion and Environmental Disaster. mintpressnews.com "We are talking about a huge floating tanker that entered service in Yemen 30 years ago, which contains more than one million tons of oil. If an explosion takes place, many countries, including Saudi Arabia, will be hit with an environmental disaster."

Medea Benjamin (2019-08-02). Guardianship System Eased, but Saudi Arabia Still Oppresses Women. dissidentvoice.org The Saudi government announced it will be eliminating part of the male guardianship system, finally granting women the right to obtain passports and travel (if 21 years of age or over), and obtain family identification cards without the need for male authorization. The change comes in the context of the bad publicity that Saudi Arabia …

Jordan Smith (2019-08-02). As Trump Fans the Flames of Anti-Abortion Rhetoric, Kansas Offers a Cautionary Tale. theintercept.com Threats against abortion providers have often been condoned by the state. Perhaps nowhere does history more clearly illustrate this point than in Wichita.

Liberation Staff (2019-08-02). Palestinian refugees in Lebanon struggle for justice. liberationnews.org This guest statement on the Lebanese government's recent restrictions on work permits for Palestinian and Syrian refugees is by Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.

Native News Online Staff (2019-08-02). Liz Cheney equates saving bears with destroying American way of life. peoplesworld.org This article was reposted from Native News Online. RIVERTON, Wyo. — On a momentous day for Tribal Nations, Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, stated that the successful litigation by tribes and environmentalists to return the grizzly bear in Greater Yellowstone to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) "was not based on science or …

Staff (2019-08-02). Canadians have a Right to Know if their Wine Was Made on Stolen Land. therealnews.com Dimitri Lascaris discusses the decision of a Canadian federal court to ban wine from illegal Israeli colonies to be labelled as "made in Israel." This issue reaches far beyond Canada, as many states debate these issues around the world…

RT (2019-08-02). Russian assets in America: A field guide. rt.com While the media likes to make a fuss about shady 'Russian hackers' and 'Russian bots' subverting democracy, did you know that America is actually full of Russian assets plying their trade openly? We find the worst of the worst.

Staff (2019-08-02). U.S. to Test New Weapon as Arms Treaty With Russia Dies. truthdig.com Washington and Moscow walked out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed in 1987.

Staff (2019-08-02). Plastic-Bottle Sales Banned at San Francisco Airport. truthdig.com SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco International Airport is banning the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. | The unprecedented move at one of the major airports in the country will take effect Aug. 20, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. | The new rule will apply to airport restaurants, cafes and vending machines. Travelers who need plain water will have to buy refillable aluminum or glass bottles if they don't bring their own. | Related Articles: …

Staff (2019-08-02). Trump's New Tariffs on China Help Pay for his Corporate Tax Cut. therealnews.com Trump's claim that China is paying for the tariffs is completely false and basically serves to redirect income from his poor supporters to his wealthy supporters. Not only that, the policy will have the consequence of further isolating the United States, says Michael Hudson…

RT (2019-08-02). Tulsi finally shows she's had it with MSM 'Assad apologist' smear. rt.com Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard slammed MSNBC — and mainstream media in general — for dredging up her meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad every time she goes on TV, calling the endless repetition "propaganda."

Staff (2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…

Sarah Abed (2019-08-02). No, Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Is Not "Assad Apologist" globalresearch.ca With nearly two dozen declared candidates competing for the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary field and the opportunity to run against Donald Trump in the general election, it's no surprise that candidates are trying their best to "destroy" their opponents during …

Steven Sahiounie (2019-08-02). Syria's "Opposition" Fails to Represent Syrians. globalresearch.ca The Syrian population residing in Syria is suffering from having barely survived eight years of war. They didn't leave for camps in Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon, or they are those who have returned to Syria from having been in camps. …

Anya Parampil (2019-08-02). 'La vacuna contra el unilateralismo': el Movimiento de Países No Alineados se reúne en Venezuela para resistir contra la tiranía del dólar. thegrayzone.com Cobertura de The Grayzone desde la conferencia ministerial del Movimiento de Países No Alineados (Mnoal), donde representantes de más de…

Medea Benjamin (2019-08-02). Guardianship System Eased, but Saudi Arabia Still Oppresses Women. counterpunch.org The Saudi government announced it will be eliminating part of the male guardianship system, finally granting women the right to obtain passports and travel (if 21 years of age or over), and obtain family identification cards without the need for male authorization. The change comes in the context of the bad publicity that Saudi Arabia More

teleSUR (2019-08-02). Philippines Deadliest Place for Land Activists: Global Witness. telesurenglish.net The Philippines is the deadliest country for environmentalists and activists, Global Witness said after a new report revealed 30 murders transpired last year. | RELATED: | Philippines: 13th Journalist Murdered Since Duterte Took Power | Eighteen percent of the world's 164 environment-related deaths took place in the Philippines, the international watchdog…

Murderville, GA (2019-08-02). Update: Devonia Inman's Chance to Prove His Innocence. theintercept.com More than eight years after DNA evidence revealed the state of Georgia sent the wrong man to prison for murder, Inman may have a chance to prove his innocence.

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-08-02). Why Did the UK Commander of HM Montrose Refrain from Firing on Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)? Who in Iran Gave Orders to Capture the "Stena Impero"? globalresearch.ca The US officially asked Europe, in particular the UK, France, Germany and Italy, to provide a naval force to patrol and protect ships sailing in the Straits of Hormuz, even if the command and control is handled by the Europeans …

Robert Fantina (2019-08-02). The MEK: Illusion vs. Reality. counterpunch.org The oddly named People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (known as the MKO or MEK), whose sole purpose is the overthrow of the people's government of Iran, has been busy. Some of their members, who seem to be mainly elderly, are technologically savvy, and use social media to further their disgraceful cause. But they don't just More

T.J. Coles (2019-08-02). Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents. counterpunch.org Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task More

Mark Ashwill (2019-08-02). Coming to Terms with the Past by Honoring Historical Truth: The Case of Fulbright University Vietnam. counterpunch.org No man in the whole world can change the truth. One can only look for the truth, find it and serve it. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Thanks to a Google Alert, I learned that Dam Bich Thuy, founding president of Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV), was at Carthage College, a small liberal arts institution in Wisconsin, to deliver More

Christopher Black (2019-08-02). The Rise of China and the Decline of American Power. globalresearch.ca The imperialist powers have a long history of colonialism in China, of reducing its people to beggars in their own land. The British, the French, the Germans, the Americans, the Japanese, all are guilty of crimes against China that cannot …