2020-01-09: News Headlines

RT (2020-01-09). Libya's Tripoli-based govt 'welcomes' ceasefire calls. rt.com Libya's UN-supported government has welcomed Russian and Turkish calls for a ceasefire amid the ongoing civil war, AP reports. The Tripoli-based government led by PM Fayez al-Sarraj released a statement late Wednesday, expressing its full support of "any serious calls for the resumption of the political process and the elimination of the specter of war." | Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a joint statement after a meeting in Istanbul, calling for a January 12 ceasefire in the battles between forces loyal to Sarraj's government and Khalifa Haftar's easte…

Staff (2020-01-09). Andrew Bacevich: The U.S. Needs to Abandon "Militarized Approach" to Middle East and Build Peace. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with Andrew Bacevich, president and co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is a retired colonel, Vietnam War veteran and author of, most recently, of "The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory." Bacevich says the crisis with Iran, sparked by President Trump's assassination of top general Qassem Soleimani, is just the latest in a long series of ill-advised American actions in the Middle East. "The only conceivable way for us to begin to extricate ourselves from this terrible mess in the region … is to abandon this militarized approac…

Liberation Staff (2020-01-09). Peace activists in South say 'No war on Iran'. liberationnews.org Reports from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky.

RT (2020-01-09). Denmark better keep an eye on 'unpredictable' US as Russia only wants stability in the Arctic — study. rt.com Russian military assets in the Arctic are now mainly of defensive nature, but aggressive moves by the US and NATO may change that, and see Moscow sending more forces to the region, a top Danish think tank warned. | "Moscow still considers stability in the region a key factor in the development of the Russian Arctic as a strategically important resource base. Therefore, Russia is interested in the Arctic remaining a 'zone of peace and cooperation," a fresh report by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), which was seen by RT, read. | But with the rivalry of superpowers — the US, Russia and…

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-01-09). The current U.S. approach to nuclear weapons can only lead to armageddon—arms control provides the only path to peace. mronline.org The decade ends with two major threats to humanity: global warming leading to a climate catastrophe and the threat of a nuclear war extinguishing our civilization. | Source

Max Blumenthal (2020-01-09). Iraqi PM reveals Soleimani was on peace mission when assassinated, exploding Trump's lie of 'imminent attacks'. mronline.org The Trump administration claimed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was planning "imminent attacks" on U.S. interests when it assassinated him. That lie was just destroyed, but not before countless corporate media outlets transmitted it to the public. | Source

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2020-01-09). In the streets and in Congress, Americans stand up for peace. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Insisting that the nation will not be forced into yet another war, progressive lawmakers here yesterday and today—and the American people demonstrating from coast to coast today—are bringing into the open an anti-war majority in the U.S. Declaring Congress needs to take its constitutional responsibility for war and peace back from "an irrational administration," the …

RT (2020-01-09). Tired of media's Pentagon spin? Lee Camp outlines 6 things you aren't being told about the US assassination of Soleimani (VIDEO). rt.com Media outlets have omitted aspects about the US assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani that don't fit Washington's narrative, comedian Lee Camp has argued. He's debunked the Pentagon spin so you don't have to. | The host of Redacted Tonight has listed six things about the highly controversial killing that the media has either ignored completely or under-reported, including the not-so-convenient fact that Soleimani had come to Baghdad to hold de-escalation talks with Saudi Arabia — before being killed by a US drone. | And what about the fact that the US carried out this strike without the perm…

Sarah Anderson (2020-01-09). Meet the CEOs Cashing In on Trump's Aggression Against Iran. counterpunch.org CEOs of major U.S. military contractors stand to reap huge windfalls from the escalation of conflict with Iran. This was evident in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. assassination of a top Iranian military official last week. As soon as the news reached financial markets, these companies' share prices spiked, inflating the value of their executives' stock-based pay. More

Staff (2020-01-09). Andrew Bacevich: Trump Sparked "Unnecessary Crisis" by Killing Soleimani, Barely Avoiding War. democracynow.org President Trump vowed on Wednesday to hit Iran with new sanctions but appeared to pull back from taking any new military action. Tension between the two countries soared after the U.S. assassinated Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport last week. Early on Wednesday, Iran retaliated by firing 22 ballistic missiles at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces, but no one was injured in the attack. Iran had warned the Iraqi government about the strike in advance. Two small rockets also later hit the Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. During a televised address on Wednesda…

Eds. (2020-01-09). Beware imperialist gaslighting—assassination is not legal. mronline.org The contradictions between imperialist actions and the legal standards they create can do much to raise mass consciousness and accelerate revolutionary momentum. But this can happen only if people know what the law is in the first place. Imperialists have been vigilant in their efforts to obscure and distort legal standards. We must be just […] | Source

Michael Arria (2020-01-09). 'The assassination of Qasem Soleimani was an act of war'. mronline.org On January 5, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Barbara Lee announced that they are introducing a War Powers Resolution in the House. The legislation would remove U.S. forces from any conflict with Iran that hasn't been granted congressional approval and is a companion to a Senate resolution that was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine […] | Source

Charles Pierson (2020-01-09). US Isolationist Forces Strike the Middle East. counterpunch.org If any good comes out of the US assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani it may be to finally put to rest the lunatic notion that President Donald Trump is an isolationist. More

Staff (2020-01-09). Bernie Sanders Nabs Key Grassroots Endorsement. truthdig.com Pointing to his decades-long commitment to fighting the climate crisis and embrace of a sweeping transformation of the American energy system and economy through a Green New Deal, the youth-led Sunrise Movement on Thursday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. | "We believe a Bernie Sanders presidency would provide the best political terrain in which to engage in and ultimately win that struggle for the world we deserve," said Varshini Prakash, found…

Staff (2020-01-09). Australian Wildfires Prove Denying Climate Change Won't Save You From It. therealnews.com Climate scientist Michael Mann is in Australia, where the bushfire crisis is unfolding in real time. He says voters there need to look for 'climate hawks' who can counteract the climate-denying policies of politicians like current prime minister Scott Morrison.

The Canary (2020-01-09). National Trust plans massive woodland expansion to offset emissions. thecanary.co The National Trust is planning to create new woodland equivalent to 42 Sherwood Forests as part of efforts to achieve "net zero" emissions by 2030.The organisation, which cares for countryside, coasts, castles and stately homes, is aiming to plant and establish 20m trees over 10 years to tackle the climate crisis.It made the announcement, which it says will cost around £90-100m, to mark its 125th anniversary. | We must do everything we can to fight climate change. Today our Director-General set out our plans to go carbon net zero by 2030 and to plant and establish 20 million trees over the next ten years: <...

RT (2020-01-09). Trump confirms more sanctions against Iran, says Tehran plane crash may have been 'mistake'. rt.com President Donald Trump has announced fresh sanctions on Iran, a day after the Islamic Republic launched a missile attack on a pair of bases used by American troops in Iraq. Trump also called for a NATO presence in the Middle East.

Liberation Staff (2020-01-09). Demonstrations break out across Pennsylvania to oppose U.S. war drive. liberationnews.org Anti-war organizers in Pennsylvania sprung into action following the Trump administration's brazen act of war against Iran to participate in the January 4 national day of action.

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-01-09). Reckless US Actions Fire Up The Antiwar Movement. dissidentvoice.org The reckless and dangerous act of war committed by Donald Trump and the Pentagon in killing Major General Qasem Soleimani of Iran and the Iraqi leader of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, has brought the conflict in the Middle East (aka West Asia) to a new level. The conflagration of war is growing with …

RT (2020-01-09). Top US general claims Iran was 'shooting to kill'… by giving early warning to hide personnel & prepare air-defenses? rt.com Although no one died in the Iranian missile strikes on US bases in Iraq, in part due to advance warning from Tehran, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he personally believed that Iran intended otherwise. | "I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, that [the strikes] were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel," Army General Mark Milley told reporters on Wednesday. | "That's my own personal assessment," he added. "But the analytics is in the hands of professional intelligence analysts. So they're looking at that." | Also on rt.com

Sarah Anderson (2020-01-09). Wall Street weapons company CEOs cash in on Iran war danger. peoplesworld.org The prospect of war with Iran is terrifying. Experts predict as many as a million people could die if the current tensions were to lead to a full-blown war. Millions more would become refugees across the Middle East, while working families across the U.S. would bear the brunt of our casualties. But there is one set of …

Norman Solomon (2020-01-09). Why Won't Democrats Unequivocally Oppose War With Iran? truthdig.com A crisis of this magnitude demands a forceful response, yet even such putative progressives as Sen. Chris Murphy feel the need to equivocate.

The Canary (2020-01-09). Ukrainian plane didn't call for help before crash, say Iran investigators. thecanary.co The crew of a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran didn't make a radio call for help and were trying to turn back to the airport when it went down, according to an initial Iranian report.The report suggested a sudden emergency struck the Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines early on 8 January when it went down moments after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, killing 176 people.(PA Graphics)Witnesses, including the crew of a passing flight, described seeing the plane engulfed in flames before crashing, the report said. The crash caused a massive explosion when the…

Steven Sahiounie (2020-01-09). Iraqis to the United States: What Part of "Go Home" Don't You Understand? mintpressnews.com Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases housing US troops in Iraq early hours of Wednesday morning. The al-Assad airbase in western Iraq was hit by 17 missiles, and 5 targeted at a base in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. No US casualties were immediately reported. | Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the attack a "slap in the face" of the US, and observers seem to question whether the attack was designed to kill or inflict casualties, or was it carefully orchestrated to produce closure to a situation which could have escalated into a regional or…

Melvin Goodman (2020-01-09). The Incoherence of U.S. Policy in the Middle East. counterpunch.org Donald Trump's decision to kill Qassim Suleimani, the most influential figure in Iran other than the Ayatollah Khamenei, will increase the terrorist threat to the United States and the global community. Suleimani's death has already provoked widespread outrage in Iraq and Iran among the Shiia populations. Prior to the killing, Iraqi leaders were campaigning against Iran's military presence in their country. Now, the Iraqi Parliament has called for the removal of the U.S. military presence. More

RT (2020-01-09). Turkish & Pegasus airlines to resume flights to Iran, Iraq — report. rt.com Turkish and Pegasus airlines will resume flights to Iran and Iraq on Thursday night, Reuters reported, citing company sources. The airlines halted flights for some 24 hours due to tensions between Iran and the United States. | Turkish Airlines will fly to Tehran out of Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport at 1805 GMT on Thursday, one source said. Pegasus Airlines will fly to Tehran at 2050 GMT out of the same airport, according to a second source. | Ankara has intensified diplomatic efforts "to alleviate the escalated tension in the aftermath of recent developments in the region."

RT (2020-01-09). Kinzhal hypersonic and Kalibr cruise missiles fired during massive Russian Navy drills in the Black Sea (VIDEOS). rt.com More than 30 warships and 40 aircraft got together for a major joint exercise of Russia's Black Sea and Northern Fleets, providing for a chance to see some of the country's most hyped weapons in action. | Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from two types of platforms during the drills in the Black Sea. The crews of Admiral Grigorovich frigate and Orekhovo-Zuevo small missile ship performed a surface firing, while Kolpino submarine launched a Kalibr from underwater. Those missiles were already used in actual combat, proving its efficiency during the Russian anti-terrorist operation in Syria. | A duo of MiG…

RT (2020-01-09). GRAPHIC footage from France's Rouen shows levels of police violence that enraged protesters nationwide (VIDEOS). rt.com Demonstrators have been left bloodied and beaten after clashes with riot police in the French city of Rouen, as authorities clamp down on the pension reform protests which have swept the country. | Eyewitness footage from the scene shows riot police engaging with demonstrators in, ever-increasingly aggressive encounters, ranging from pushing and shoving, to tear gassing, before eventually the police begin swinging batons at the unarmed protesters. | Un autre angle de la charge des forces de l'ordre à #Rouen. Coups de matraques et gaza…

RT (2020-01-09). 'Alien baby': Internet shook by 'pregnancy announcement' from Elon Musk's girlfriend Grimes. rt.com What appears to be a strange pregnancy announcement by Grimes, the musician girlfriend of billionaire Elon Musk, has not gone down well on Twitter, with one user jokingly speculating that the couple might produce "the antichrist." | The internet was at pains to process the news after Grimes posted a picture of what seems to be her baby bump with an image of a fetus photoshopped onto it. "Being knocked up is a very feral & war-like state of being," she wrote in the Instagram post. | The couple, who have been dating since 2018, are generally seen as a fairly odd pairing. The idea of Grimes, with her reputatio…

RT (2020-01-09). Baghdad revived deal to buy Russian S-300 following US strikes — Iraq's Security & Defense Committee chairman. rt.com Baghdad has reached out to Moscow again after it suffered American bombings on its soil, a high-ranked lawmaker revealed, saying the resumed deal focuses on the time-tested S-300 air defense systems. | The US attacks on Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, prompted the Iraqi government "to resume negotiations regarding the S-300 deal," Mohammad Ridha, chairman of Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Sputnik on Thursday. | The US military have launched the air strikes against the PMU units in late December, blaming them for an attack that killed an American ci…

RT (2020-01-09). Kane KO: Spurs reveal extent of Harry Kane layoff as injury poses major headache for Mourinho. rt.com Tottenham Hotspur and England forward Harry Kane will be sidelined until at least April as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the London club have said, in what will be a major headache for boss Jose Mourinho. | Kane hobbled off during Spurs' 1-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year's Day. | The Londoners have now confirmed the extent of the injury, saying the England man — who has netted 17 times in 25 club appearances this season — will be forced to undergo surgery for a ruptured tendon. | "Following ongoing assessment by our medical staff over the past week, we can confirm that Harry Kane will unde…

Andrew Bacevich (2020-01-09). A Report Card on the American Project. counterpunch.org Thirty years ago this month, President George H.W. Bush appeared before a joint session of Congress to deliver his first State of the Union Address, the first post-Cold War observance of this annual ritual. Just weeks before, the Berlin Wall had fallen. That event, the president declared, "marks the beginning of a new era in More

Staff (2020-01-09). International Criminal Court Prepares to Try Israelis over War Crimes. therealnews.com Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.

Staff (2020-01-09). Uyghurs & Other Muslim Minorities Forced into Labor Programs to Work in Chinese Factories. democracynow.org In China, a shocking new exposé has revealed that Chinese authorities are systematically forcing Muslims — mostly Uyghurs and Kazakhs — into labor programs to supply Chinese factories with a cheap and compliant workforce. The New York Times investigation, based on official documents, interviews and visits to the far-western region of Xinjiang, reveals a sweeping program to push poor farmers, villagers and small traders into sometimes months-long training courses before assigning them to low-wage factory work. The programs work in tandem with indoctrination camps where an estimated 1 million adults fro…

Sam Pizzigati (2020-01-09). The Seven Square Inches Making Us Lots More Unequal. counterpunch.org What happens when we use our credit cards? We all think we know. We charge a purchase on our card, we incur a debt. If we pay off that debt within a month, we face no interest charge. End of story. Not quite. Something else important is happening whenever we make a credit card charge: More

Staff (2020-01-09). After 68 Days, Hunger Strikers in ICE Custody Are on the Brink of Death. truthout.org New Orleans, Louisiana — With hunger strikes sweeping immigration jails across the country, two Indian asylum seekers protesting their incarceration at a remote Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jail in Louisiana are reportedly on the brink of death after refusing to eat or drink for 68 days, according to a volunteer who regularly visits the two men. | The hunger strikers have a clear demand: to be released so they can pursue their asylum cases outside of jail. | Medical staff at the…

Norman Solomon (2020-01-09). Biden and Buttigieg Are Showing How Corporatism and 'the Madness of Militarism' Go Together. counterpunch.org There's nothing like an illegal and utterly reckless U.S. act of war to illuminate the political character of presidential candidates. In the days since the assassination of Iran's top military official, two of the highest-polling Democratic contenders have displayed the kind of moral cowardice that got the United States into — and kept it in More

Norman Solomon (2020-01-09). War with Iran Is at Stake — and Democrats' High Jumps Over Low Standards Aren't Helping. indybay.org Bowing down to the military-industrial complex…

Aaron Maté (2020-01-09). US and Iran avoid war, but Trump's war-mongering goes on. thegrayzone.com The threat of an immediate US-Iran military conflict has been averted, but President Donald Trump has vowed to continue his…

Leonardo Flores (2020-01-09). This might be the final episode of Juan Guaidó's surreal Venezuela regime-change reality show. thegrayzone.com The farcical scene of Juan Guaido attempting to break into Venezuela's National Assembly as its members voted him out was…

Ajamu Baraka (2020-01-09). Sheep-dogging on Steroids: The New Democratic Party Anti-War Activists. dissidentvoice.org In the cynical spectacle that is called politics in the United States, the latest insult to the intelligence of the people is the Democrats who are posturing as Anti-war champions in reaction to the Trump Administration's assassination of Qassem Soleimani and the possibility of further attacks on Iran. We are supposed to buy that the …

Staff (2020-01-09). Will Youth Climate Activists Be the Crucial Swing Vote in Iowa? truthout.org The largest rally so far during the presidential campaign, in the first state to vote, was led by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta T…

Ajamu Baraka (2020-01-09). Sheep-Dogging on Steroids: America's New Democratic Party Anti-War Activists. globalresearch.ca The rhetoric of the Democratic "progressives" only gives cover to the ongoing criminality of the U.S. state and its commitment to permanent war — with congressional approval. | In the cynical spectacle that is called politics in the United States, the …

Stephen Lendman (2020-01-09). Warrior Trump Seeking Peace? Permanent War Remains Official US Policy. globalresearch.ca Throughout…

Stephen Lendman (2020-01-09). US Regional Presence Makes Middle East Peace and Stability Unattainable. globalresearch.ca As long as tens of thousands of US combat troops, heavy weapons, and its jihadist proxies remain active in Middle East (ME) countries, a perpetual state of war will exist — peace, stability and security to be unattainable. | That's the …

WSWS (2020-01-09). Trump bides his time, but the preparations for war against Iran will continue. wsws.org The media falsely claims that Trump's failure to order immediate strikes against Iran signals an opening for peace.

Register Peace & Freedom or Green (2020-01-09). S.F. Rep Pelosi Postponed Vote on War Powers Act. indybay.org San Francisco Representative Nancy Pelosi postponed the urgently needed vote on a War Powers Resolution to prevent a US war against Iran. And Top House Democrats want to abandon any vote on a War Powers Resolution. See | www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/08/kicking-can-next-week-irresponsible-progressives-rebuke-pelosi-delaying-iran-war

MoveOn, Indivisible, Others (2020-01-09). No War With Iran! Protest in Livermore. indybay.org Livermore Flagpole Plaza, First Street and South Livermore Ave, Livermore, CA 94550…

MoveOn, Indivisible, Others (2020-01-09). No War With Iran! Protest in San Jose. indybay.org Intersection of of Stevens Creek and South Winchester Blvd., at the border of San Jose 95128 and Santa Clara 95050…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-01-09). No New War on Iran! Emergency Protest. indybay.org Photos: Leon Kunstenaar | People rush to demonstrate against Trump war on Iran…