Daily Archives: September 17, 2020

2020-09-17: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-17). The 'Israeli'-Emirati Alliance: Geopolitical Impact on Africa. globalresearch.ca The misleadingly described "peace" deal between "Israel" and the UAE will enable the self-professed "Jewish State" to use the latter's military and civilian port infrastructure in the Gulf of Aden, thus challenging recent Turkish inroads in this part of the …

_____ (2020-09-17). Assange Court Report September 16: Afternoon. popularresistance.org A famous Vietnam era whistleblower, 89-year-old Daniel Ellsberg, has told a court that he feels "a great identification," with both Julian Assange and his source Chelsea Manning, who, he said, "were willing to suffer the risk of imprisonment or even death to get information to the American public." | Ellsberg, a former US Marine officer who served with the US State Department in Vietnam during the war years, is best known for leaking a huge tranche of US government documents on the war to the New York Times in 1970, documents that showed that the government had been lying to the American people about the conflict…

Staff (2020-09-17). Daniel Ellsberg Warns U.S. Press Freedom Under Attack in WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Extradition Case. democracynow.org Legendary Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg says Julian Assange's extradition hearing in London could have far-reaching consequences for press freedoms. The WikiLeaks founder faces an ever-evolving array of espionage and hacking charges related to the release of diplomatic cables that revealed war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange faces almost certain conviction, if extradited, and 175 years in prison. "The American press has remained in kind of a state of denial for 40 years, really, since my case, that the Espionage Act has wording in it that could be aimed directly at…

Staff (2020-09-17). A Crisis Made in America: Yemen on Brink of Famine After U.S. Cuts Aid While Fueling War. democracynow.org The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening amid the pandemic and cuts to international aid from the United States and its allies, leaving millions of Yemenis facing famine after years of a brutal U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign that has devastated the country. CNN's senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir says what is happening in Yemen is not a natural disaster but a "man-made catastrophe" directly tied to U.S. policies. Elbagir says, "Not only is the U.S. profiting from the war by selling weapons to the UAE and Saudi Arabia," but it is also ignoring the impact on civilians. We also feature he…

Staff (2020-09-17). After Fire Destroys Moria Refugee Camp in Greece, Demands Grow for Relocation, Not Another Camp. democracynow.org We get an update on the massive fire at the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, which has left 13,000 refugees and migrants from Afghanistan, African countries and Syria without access to shelter, food or sanitation. The fire has raised concerns about a coronavirus outbreak and comes as migrants protest their living conditions during the pandemic. Some of the asylum seekers — many of them women and children — are demanding they be allowed to leave the island of Lesbos, but the Greek government is refusing to relocate most people displaced by the fire to the mainland. "The calculation of the Greek go…

F. William Engdahl (2020-09-17). Twilight in the Desert for Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman? globalresearch.ca It appears as if Saudi de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is on a mission to destroy the world oil giant by one after the other ill-conceived economic decisions. Now, as MBS orders yet new desperation cuts in …

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-09-17). No 'peace' without the Palestinians. thealtworld.com White House theatrics, Trump's delusions and Gulf regime collusion cannot 'end' the Arab-Israeli conflict | The missiles fired at Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip while the UAE and Bahraini foreign ministers were signing 'peace treaties' with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House were an affirmation: these agreements are worthless, and the only people capable of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, by peace or by war, are the people of Palestine — with the backing of their Arab and Muslim brothers and sisters and supporters of justice worldwide. | President Donald Trump, who oversaw the theatrics in the…

Medea Benjamin, Barry Summers (2020-09-17). A "Persistent Eye in the Sky" Coming to a City Near You? counterpunch.org "Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we're looking at, and we can see everything." That same persistent eye in the sky may soon be deployed over U.S. cities. At the time he made that comment about surveillance drones over Afghanistan,

_____ (2020-09-17). Nurse Alleges Forced Sterilizations, Medical Malpractice At Immigrant Detention Center. popularresistance.org A whistleblower complaint filed on behalf of a nurse who worked at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in southern Georgia until July alleges that a number of immigrant women detained there were subjected to sterilization through hysterectomies without their consent. | In the complaint, filed by the legal advocacy group Project South, the former nurse describes conditions at the center as akin to an "experimental concentration camp." | The complaint also details the refusal of the center's administrators to carry out COVID-19 testing or implement protective measures, putting detainees an…

Miko Peled (2020-09-17). Why Arab Leaders Are Suddenly Groveling at the Chance to Normalize Ties with Israel. mintpressnews.com Arab leaders understand that relations with Israel provide access to US Empire and all that comes with it, including much desired US-made weapons and other perks such as security and economic cooperation.

Subodh Varma (2020-09-17). Six months of pandemic: Why India lost the battle. peoplesdispatch.org A brief timeline of the Narendra Modi Government's action (and inaction) in India from the time World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a 'pandemic' on March 11…

Walter Smolarek (2020-09-17). Senate Democrats want $350 billion to prepare for war with China. liberationnews.org Democrats in the Senate announced September 17 a massive spending bill aimed at stepping up U.S. hostility towards China to the tune of $350 billion. Introduced by leading imperialist war hawks Chuck Schumer and Bob Menendez, the legislation is intended to shore up U.S. dominance in strategic sectors of the world economy through huge government …

MEE staff (2020-09-17). US considering 'appointing' Mohammed Dahlan as next Palestinian president: Friedman. middleeasteye.net US considering 'appointing' Mohammed Dahlan as next Palestinian president: Friedman | US ambassador to Israel also says freeze on West Bank annexation is temporary and Arab-Israeli conflict will be over within a year | Thu, 09/17/2020 – 10: 55 | David Friedman predicted that the normalisation deals marked the beginning of the end of the Arab-Israeli-conflict (AFP) | The United States is considering supporting…

MEE staff (2020-09-17). Israeli firm provided phone-hacking services to Saudi Arabia: Report. middleeasteye.net Israeli firm provided phone-hacking services to Saudi Arabia: Report | The report by The Marker says that Cellebrite was also active in the kingdom at the time of Jamal Khashoggi's murder in October 2018 | Thu, 09/17/2020 – 11: 02 | Cellebrite says its technology serves 154 countries and that it has been used to make convictions in 5 million cases of serious crime (AFP) | A controversial Israeli security firm…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-09-17). The 'Desaparecidos' of Palestine: Gantz Escalates Israel's War on the Dead. dissidentvoice.org On September 2, the Israeli government approved a proposal that allows the military to indefinitely withhold the bodies of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli army. The proposal was made by the country's Defense Minister, Benny Gantz. Gantz is the main political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also serves the role …

_____ (2020-09-17). Occupation Of UK Factory Involved In Israeli Drone Manufacture. popularresistance.org Direct action protests against Israel's largest weapons company have escalated in the UK, with an occupation of a factory building engines for drones used by Israel's army entering its third day on Wednesday. | Protests were also held outside Elbit System UK's London headquarters and at its landlord's main offices, as new solidarity group Palestine Action escalated its campaign to shut down the company's operation in the UK. | Elbit Systems UK is part of the high-tech weapons group that supplies more than 80 percent of the Israeli army's military drones, including the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-17). Activists occupy Elbit Systems factory in UK. peoplesdispatch.org The factory of the Israeli weapon company Elbit Systems in Shenstone, UK, is under occupation by protesters belonging to Palestine Action. They have demanded the shut-down of all sites of Elbit Systems in the UK.

Fight Back (2020-09-17). Palestinians slam Arab regimes' 'normalization' with Zionist occupation. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On September 15, the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) held a press conference to reject the charade that was happening the same day in Washington, DC, where the Trump administration was holding a signing ceremony for a 'peace' arrangement between Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. | CJP represents all of the major Palestinian organizations in Chicago. They spoke against the Arab regimes' 'normalization' with the Zionist Israeli enemy. Solidarity activists with the American Friends Service Committee and the Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy and othe…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-17). Trump Regime Illegally Imposing Snapback Sanctions and Arms Embargo on Iran. globalresearch.ca In defiance of world community sentiment and SC Res. 2231 — that's binding international and US constitutional law — the Trump regime will unilaterally reimpose sanctions on Iran that were lifted when the JCPOA took effect. | According to Trump regime …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-17). Continued German Support for Nord Stream 2 Completion? Towards a Shift in Russia-Germany Relations? globalresearch.ca Construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany is about 94% completed. | The project is all about supplying Germany and other European countries with readily available low-cost Russian natural gas — around 30% cheaper than US liquified natural …

Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-17). Venezuelan Oil Production Continues Slump as Iran Steps Up Cooperation. venezuelanalysis.com A recent Iranian condensate shipment will boost oil blending operations.

Marwa Osman (2020-09-17). Yankees Going Home—MES EP.72. thealtworld.com The top U.S. general in the Middle East Frank McKenzie confirmed plans for partial troop drawdowns in both Iraq and Afghanistan before the Nov. 3 election, as President Donald Trump seeks to fulfill a campaign promise to end what he calls "America's endless wars". The U.S. plans to cut the troop presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 by the end of September. To discuss this issue with us from London is Patrick Henningsen founder of the 21st century wire news website. | The announcement that Bahrain would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel leaves open the possibility that more Arab states will follow. B…

Michael Jansen (2020-09-17). Cyprus Victim of External Efforts to Drag It into Rival East Mediterranean Orbits of Russia, US. globalresearch.ca Cyprus has become the victim of fresh external push-and-pull efforts with the aim of dragging the island republic, a European Union (EU) member, into one or other of the rival East Mediterranean orbits of Russia and the US. | Cyprus received …

Rick Sterling (2020-09-17). How USA and Turkey Plunder and Loot Syria with Impunity. dissidentvoice.org While President Trump lashes out at rioting and looting in Portland and Kenosha, half way around the world, the USA and Turkey are plundering and looting Syria on a vastly greater scale with impunity and little publicity. Turkey Loots Syria, then Disrupts Safe Water Supply Turkey has been plundering the Syrian infrastructure for years. …

_____ (2020-09-17). New Ambassador Attracts the Usual Enemies: Doug Macgregor Feels the Wrath of the Jewish Lobby. strategic-culture.org There is an old saying that allegedly came out of the French Revolution, that revolution, like the god Saturn, devours its own children. It was reportedly uttered by Georges Danton at the trial that preceded his execution and could be applied equally to the demise of Trotsky after the Russian Revolution. It meant that the leaders that drove the dramatic political developments frequently get a taste of power and become resistant to any further change. They often end up turning on their own former followers who have different ideas on how to run the country. | Nearly all the top-level political appointees that have…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). France, Lebanon at stalemate over proposed deadline. yenisafak.com French President Emmanuel Macron expressed disappointment Wednesday over Lebanon's failure to form a new government by mid-September in accordance with a schedule laid out by both countries.The agreement on Sept. 1 came in the wake of a colossal explosion at the main port in the capital Beirut on Aug. 4 after 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate left untended for years ignited in a warehouse there. The chemical compound is often used in making bombs and fertilizer.The explosion, felt for miles, left 190 dead, 6,500 injured — including 19 French citizens — and 300,000 displaced.Macron visited Beirut two days after the…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Romania receives Patriot missiles from US to boost defences. yenisafak.com The Romanian army received its first shipment of U.S. Raytheon Patriot surface-to-air missiles on Thursday, part of an effort to bolster its defences that has annoyed Russia."Romania has just become a safer nation by hosting these Patriot missiles on its territory. Romanian citizens are now better protected," Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said at the receiving ceremony at a firing range on the Black Sea shore.The missiles will form part of an integrated air defence system comprising newly acquired F-16 fighter jets as Romania brings its obsolete military equipment up to NATO standards and phases out outdated commu…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Turkey sends tent to North Cyprus to help fight virus. yenisafak.com The Turkish Red Crescent sent its inflatable air tent to a hospital in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Thursday.The tent, which the Guzelyurt Cengiz Topel Hospital urgently needed due to the novel coronavirus, was set up in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent and the Turkish Red Crescent of Northern Cyprus.Thanks to the 56-square meter (602.7-square feet) tent, locals coming for polyclinic services will be prevented from contacting COVID-19 patients and hospital doctors as well as managers will be able to work more efficiently in the fight against the virus.As of Wednesday, TRNC reported f…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Stage is set for stronger Turkey-Bangladesh ties: Top diplomat. yenisafak.com The current level of bilateral relations between Ankara and Dhaka is ready for takeoff, said Bangladesh's top diplomat on a visit to Turkey, stressing that a slight push by the two governments is needed to get things going.In an inclusive interview with Anadolu Agency in Ankara during his four-day visit to Turkey, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said the economy and trade will be the key focus of bilateral relations.He also talked about the Rohingya refugee crisis, Dhaka's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and plan to revive the economy.On the normalization agreements with Israel and Arab states, Mo…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Sony says PlayStation 5 launches Nov. 12. yenisafak.com The PlayStation 5 home video game console is set to be released on Nov. 12, Sony has announced. | It will first be available in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Sales in the UK and elsewhere will begin on Nov. 19. | The PS5 Digital Edition – which does not have a disc drive – will cost $399.99 while the "regular" version with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will be available for $499.99. | Pre-orders have begun at select retailers.Sony's first console was released as the PlayStation in Japan in December 1994, and has since sold millions of units worldwide. Its top competitors…

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Turkey fights for justice as region demands it, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Critics of Turkish foreign policy should stop accusing Ankara and instead oppose the conditions in the region that make it necessary for Turkey to champion peace and justice, said the nation's president on Thursday."They say, 'Why is Turkey involved in Syria, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia?" Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a group of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial heads at party headquarters in the capital Ankara.But, he added, "If Turkey retreats, will Syria enjoy peace and freedom?…"If Turkey turns its back to what is happening in Libya,…

_____ (2020-09-17). Protests And Rockets As Gulf States Sign Deals With Israel. popularresistance.org At a White House ceremony on Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain officially established diplomatic relations with Israel. | The signing of the US-brokered Abraham Accords formalizes decades of clandestine relations between Israel and the two Gulf states. | US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Emirati foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani all spoke before the signing. | Al Nahyan and Alzayani also signed separate treaties with Trump and Netanyahu.

Asiah Williams (2020-09-17). Of Course Republicans Want to Suppress the Youth Vote. thenation.com Of Course Republicans Want to Suppress the Youth Vote…

Andre Vltchek (2020-09-16). Guo Wengui: So Anti-Chinese that even U.S. Establishment cannot stomach him. dissidentvoice.org In some very rare cases, it is better to read British conservative, right-wing press, like The Economist or the Telegraph, instead of the mainstream liberal sheets like The Independent or The Guardian. That is if one wants to come somehow closer to the truth. The Economist is extremely biased; it is pre-historically conservative, anti-Russian, anti-Chinese, …

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-16). The US-Brokered Mideast 'Peace' Deals Aren't Really What They Seem. thealtworld.com The loud applause that followed the US-brokered Mideast "peace" deals between "Israel" on one hand and the UAE & Bahrain on the other is misplaced since there was never any real state of war between the "opposing" sides to begin with, but presenting these accords as a "breakthrough for peace" is meant to pressure those remaining countries that refuse to recognize the self-professed "Jewish State" by portraying them as "obstacles to peace" so that they too consider abandoning their principled support for Palestine in exchange for positive media coverage and other perks such as economic support. | There's No "Peace…

_____ (2020-09-16). Democrats Ignore U.S. Military's Refutation of 'Russian Bounties' Story. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | NBC News Two months after top Pentagon officials vowed to get to the bottom of whether the Russian government bribed the Taliban to kill American service members, the commander of troops in the region says a detailed review of all available intelligence has not been able to corroborate the existence of such a program. | "It just has not been proved to a level of certainty that satisfies me," Gen. Frank McKenzie, comm…

RT (2020-09-16). Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg testifies in Assange's defense, says WikiLeaks exposed 'war crimes' in 'public interest'. rt.com Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg — whose 'Pentagon Papers' leak exposed illegal US bombing during the Vietnam War — said Julian Assange would not see a fair trial if extradited to the US, comparing the publisher's case to his own. | Testifying at Assange's extradition hearing on Wednesday, Ellsberg said the WikiLeaks co-founder would be denied a chance to defend himself if sent to the US for a trial, noting that, like in his own case, Assange would not be permitted to argue his publications were in the 'public interest.' | "I observe the closest of similarities to the position I faced, where the expos…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-09-16). COVID-19 Coronavirus: The Crisis. "You Simulate and Then You Go Live" globalresearch.ca On January 30th 2020, the WHO Director General declared a Public Health Emergency (PHEIC) in relation to China's novel coronavirus. This far-reaching decision was taken without the support of expert opinion. There were 150 confirmed cases outside China, when the decision was taken. 6 in the US, 3 in Canada, 2 in the UK, etc.

Staff (2020-09-16). Noura Erakat: Trump's Bahrain-UAE-Israel Deal Won't Advance Palestinian Peace & Will Up Repression. democracynow.org As the Trump administration celebrates deals establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we speak with Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Trump's "peace" agreements are a sham. "This is not about advancing any kind of meaningful, enduring peace, but instead about entrenching a geopolitical alliance that would otherwise increase oppression for people of the Middle East," says Erakat, assistant professor at Rutgers University and author of "Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine."

MEE and agencies (2020-09-16). Hamas warns Israel of escalation following air strikes on Gaza. middleeasteye.net Hamas warns Israel of escalation following air strikes on Gaza | Tensions coincide with Israel's signing of normalisation deals with the UAE and Bahrain in Washington | Wed, 09/16/2020 – 08: 19 | Israeli air strikes against Gaza took place in the early hours of Wednesday after rocket fire from Gaza (AFP) | Hamas warned Israel it would face a military escalation on Wednesday after its warpl…

Kathryn Shihadah (2020-09-16). Life Under Seige: The Blockade on Gaza Turns Fourteen and Is Still as Illegal as Ever. mintpressnews.com With no foreseeable end in sight, Israel's blockade on Gaza not only runs afoul of international law, but it has also already been on the radar of the United Nations and human rights groups for well over a decade.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-16). Zionist enemy to pay for aggression: al-Qassam Brigades. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 16 (MNA) — Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas Movement, has issued a statement on Wednesday in reaction to the aggressions of the Israeli regime against the Gaza strip.

yenisafak (2020-09-16). Nearly 3,500 Palestinians killed during Netanyahu era. yenisafak.com During the prime ministry of Benjamin Netanyahu, who signed an agreement with the UAE and Bahrain to normalize relations, nearly 3,500 Palestinians, including many women and children, were martyred and thousands of others injured in the attacks of Israeli forces.Netanyahu, shown as one of the chief architects of Israel's oppression and violations against Palestine, served as the prime minister during the two bloody attacks on the Gaza Strip under the blockade by the Israeli army.According to the data of the Israeli rights group B'Tselem, nearly 3,500 Palestinian Palestinians have been martyred in the attacks of t…

news.un (2020-09-16). Syria COVID spread may be much higher than figures suggest, Lowcock tells Security Council. news.un.org Reports from inside Syria are pointing to a much broader spread of COVID-19 than the number of confirmed cases — currently 3,618 — suggests, the UN's top humanitarian official says.

yenisafak (2020-09-16). Top Russian, Saudi diplomats discuss Yemeni conflict. yenisafak.com Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday discussed the conflict in Yemen with his Saudi counterpart over the phone.Lavrov agreed with Faisal bin Farhan on the need to support UN efforts for a cease-fire in the war-torn country, as well as to implement urgent humanitarian measures and launch a settlement process between the sides, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an online statement."Sergey Lavrov stressed that progress towards the establishment of long-awaited peace and stability in Yemen is possible only by taking into account the interests and concerns of all the leading political forces, religi…

yenisafak (2020-09-16). UN sends six aid trucks to Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Wednesday dispatched six trucks with humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, where millions of people remain in need of assistance due to internal conflict.The trucks crossed over into Syria's Idlib province from the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escal…

Al Neal (2020-09-16). Idaho's Indigenous Senate candidate Paulette Jordan challenges entrenched Republican power. peoplesworld.org A U.S. Senate race in the state of Idaho could bring about sweeping change to the current Republican-controlled Senate and correct a longstanding historical wrong if it's won by the Democratic opponent to incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Risch. "I'm Paulette Jordan, and I'm running to be the first female senator from the state of Idaho and the first …

yenisafak (2020-09-16). 1982 Beirut massacre still haunts survivors. yenisafak.com "We unwittingly came to Lebanon and we will return to our homeland Palestine whenever possible." | About one square kilometer (less than half a square mile) in size, the Sabra and Shatila camp, located west of Beirut, is home to 12,000 Palestinian refugees, according to unofficial data.

WSWS (2020-09-16). Nurse alleges forced sterilizations, medical malpractice at Georgia immigrant detention center. wsws.org The chilling report provides further evidence of the sadistic abuse meted out by the Trump administration in its fascistic war on immigrants.

yenisafak (2020-09-16). Greece struggles to bring migrants into temporary camp after fire. yenisafak.com Greek authorities were still struggling on Wednesday to move thousands of migrants sleeping rough into a temporary camp, a week after the overcrowded Moria migrant camp burned down, while fears grew over a coronavirus outbreak on the island of Lesbos.More than 12,000 people, mostly refugees from Afghanistan, Africa and Syria, were left without shelter, proper sanitation or access to food and water by the fire that tore through Moria, Greece's biggest camp for migrants reaching its islands by sea.No one was killed or hurt in the fire, which broke out after quarantine measures were imposed following the discovery o…