(2022-02-03). US operation in Syria leaves at least 10 killed, incl. kids. en.mehrnews.com Local media in Syria reported that at least 10 people were killed during a heliborne operation carried out by the US troops in the northern suburbs of Idlib, Syria.
(2022-02-03). Multiple Casualties Reported as US Conducts 'Counterterrorism' Raid in Syria – Video. sputniknews.com Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday that US Special Operations units have successfully completed a counterterrorism mission in northwestern Syria.
(2022-02-03). Can Israel stop the world from saying 'Apartheid'? Concealing the suffering in Palestine. greenleft.org.au The Israeli state is pulling out all stops to deligitmise international organisations that dare use the term "apartheid" to describe its decades-long brutal occupation of Palestine, writes Vijay Prashad.
(2022-02-03). Israel's Claims to be a Democracy ring Hollow as Amnesty Finds it an Apartheid State. juancole.com By Nasim Ahmed | — ( Middle East Monitor ) — Amnesty International became the latest human rights group to label Israel an apartheid state. In a damning report titled "Israel's Apartheid against Palestinians" the rights group concludes that the occupation state has imposed a "cruel system of domination" and is committing "crimes against humanity." …
(2022-02-03). Ilhan Omar Warns Democrats' Ukraine Proposal Only 'Escalates the Conflict'. scheerpost.com 
By Jessica Corbett / Common Dreams Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Wednesday delivered a detailed rebuke of congressional Democrats' proposed legislative response to the escalating crisis involving Ukraine and Russia, declaring that "when the United States says it champions human rights, democracy, and peace, we should mean it." "Instead of spending $500 million on weapons, we should …
(2022-02-03). The Year of the Tiger Starts with a Sino-Russian Bang. strategic-culture.org The Year of the Black Water Tiger will start, for all practical purposes, with a Beijing bang this Friday, as Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, after a live meeting before the initial ceremony of the Winter Olympics, will issue a joint statement on international relations. | That will represent a crucial move in the Eurasia vs. NATOstan chessboard, as the Anglo-American axis is increasingly bogged down in Desperation Row: after all, "Russian aggression" stubbornly refuses to materialize. | After an interminable wait arguably due to the lack of functionaries properly equipped to write an intelligible lett…
(2022-02-03). The Russians Are Coming: Are Beijing and Moscow at the Cusp of a Formal Alliance? dissidentvoice.org 
It should matter little to the Chinese that American diplomats and a handful of their western allies will not be attending the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. What truly matters is that the Russians are coming. The above is not an arbitrary statement. It is supported with facts. According to a survey conducted by China's Global …
(2022-02-03). Food for thought: going beyond 'survival' in Vietnam. asiatimes.com 
My first restaurant opened in Hoi An, then an old trading village, three decades ago. At the time, Vietnam was cut off from the Western world because of a trade embargo designed to invert the result of what we called the American War. But we persevered, and shortly after I served my first meals, a …
(2022-02-03). Peltier has COVID-19: President Joe Biden, Do The Right Thing, Free Leonard! covertactionmagazine.com On January 28th, Brian Schatz, (D-Hawai'i), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs urged President Biden to commute …
(2022-02-03). As oil giants announce massive profits, BP oil refinery worker in Indiana declares: "We're ready to strike" wsws.org Oil workers are angered over being kept in the dark by the United Steelworkers (USW) and are ready to fight the highly profitable oil giants.
(2022-02-03). Instead of Freeing Palestinian Prisoners, New Scheme Aims at Punishing Their Families. dissidentvoice.org A scheme is underway to withhold or to reduce payments made by the Palestinian Authority to the families of Palestinian prisoners. According to Israeli media, the Biden Administration has requested that the PA entirely overhauls its support system of Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinian leadership had already expressed willingness to engage the US in a 'discussion'. …
(2022-02-03). 'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy': Rediscovering the wheel. peoplesworld.org 
The films of Japanese film director and screenwriter Ryusuke Hamaguchi lodge in your brain and heart like small incendiary devices, ticking from his self-awareness toward yours. What did the character mean by that? How does that change her life? Where are we going with this anyway? They are the slowly digestible complexities of people discovering …
(2022-02-03). Breaking: Special Forces Land In Syria's Greater Idlib, Engage Militants In Kill Or Capture Operation. southfront.org 
File image. | Early on February 3, a suspected US special force landed from several helicopters near the northern Syrian town of Atimah right on the border line with Turkey. | The force came from the direction of Syria's northeastern region, where the US-led coalition maintains a number of bases. | After landing, the force, which was backed by several attack helicopters, combat drones and fighter jet, engaged in fierce clashes with unidentified militants while apparently carrying out a kill or capture operation.
(2022-02-03). Situation in Turkey is Putting Erdogan's Abilities to the Test. journal-neo.org 
In the last few years, Turkey's economy has been caught in a drawn-out recession, largely due to the increasing costs related to the current model of economic growth. And as the economy is deteriorating, so is the political and economic situation in the country, forcing President Erdogan to make choices which are far from popular. …
(2022-02-02). Headlines for February 2, 2022. democracynow.org Putin Accuses U.S. of Using Ukraine as "Tool" to Contain Russia, Pacific Nations, Incl. Tonga, Report First COVID Cases; South Africa, EU Nations Ease Restrictions, Guinea-Bissau's President Says He Survived Coup Attempt, Security Forces Killed in Attack, Two Babies Die in Freezing Syrian Camps for Displaced People, Major Coalition of States, Cities and Advocacy Groups Backs Mexican Effort to Sue U.S. Gunmakers, Native American Tribes Reach Tentative Settlement with J&J, Drug Distributors over Opioid Epidemic, ABC Suspends Whoopi Goldberg from "The View" After Saying Holocaust Was "Not About Race", Ex-NFL Coach F…
(2022-02-02). Ukraine: Another Biden Débâcle? strategic-culture.org Are we past 'peak frenzy'? Quite possibly, but it will subside only slowly. It is too good a diversion from other difficulties. | The sheer size and scope of the western information operations — insisting repeatedly on the imminence of a Russian invasion of Ukraine — has almost dwarfed the western effort mounted in the lead up to the second invasion of Iraq. This latest info-war has been qualitatively different from that earlier episode however, in the way in which supposed intelligence titbits were constantly fed to the press in order to stiffen the narrative spine with a direct sense of being at the…
(2022-02-02). 30 NATO members, 37 partners from around the world forge new global strategic doctrine. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The 67 nations involved include ones on all six populated continents. Why the world stubbornly persists in ignoring the evolution of an ever-expanding international military alliance is beyond my ability to comprehend. ==== NATO engages with partners to help shape the next Strategic Concept 37 participating partners: Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and …
(2022-02-02). War in Yemen: Pentagon chief consults with NATO partners UAE, Qatar. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have been members of the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partnership since its inception in 2004. As is demonstrated below, NATO nations are involved in the war in Yemen as they are in the war in Syria. === Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Crown …
(2022-02-02). Biden Intensifies Anti-China/Russia Rhetoric As US Struggles With Rising Inflation. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imagePolls suggest that the Democrats will lose control of Congress. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | While many in the US are trying to address pressing domestic issues, the White House's political rhetoric is intended to divert voters' attention to non-existent external threats. If one is to believe Western mass media, it would appear that the US is being encircled by external threats, primarily China and Russia, but also by the likes of Iran and North Korea. | Alt…
(2022-02-02). Central Asia becomes a Platform for Cooperation between Russia, India and China. journal-neo.org 
Central Asia (CA), due to its geostrategic location at the junction of Europe and Asia, its proximity to the leading international actors such as Russia and China, its wealth of natural resources and its yet-to-be fully exploited trade and economic opportunities, has recently attracted increasing interest from international actors. In order to create a stable …
(2022-02-02). Biden approves deployment of 3,000 more troops to Eastern Europe within days. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com CNN: Biden formally approves new US troops to Europe amid Russia threat, deployments expected in 'coming days' President Joe Biden has formally approved additional US military deployments to Eastern Europe, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, with US troops deploying soon to Poland, Germany and Romania. *** Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the deployments include roughly …
(2022-02-02). US-Qatar Rise In Cooperation May Be Related To Washington's Energy Strategy. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imageThe American government is trying to promote Qatar's gas production in order to ensure US allies energy security, preventing them from any cooperation with Russia. | Written by Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant. | US-Qatar relations seem to be getting better and better. During a conversation at the White House with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, US President Joe Biden promis…
(2022-02-02). Russia Opens Doors for Iran's Eurasian integration. strategic-culture.org Raisi and Putin's January meeting may have seemed anticlimactic, but Russia is now opening doors for Iran's Eurasian integration | By Yeghia TASHJIAN | On 20 January, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi traveled to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with the express purpose of advancing bilateral ties between both countries at the highest level. | Among the talking points of the two leaders were their shared regional and international issues, the Vienna negotiations for Iran's nuclear program, and regional cooperation in Eurasia. | Contrary to expectations and to the positive statements made befor…
(2022-02-02). Unwise to politicize Beijing Winter Olympics. asiatimes.com 
From February 4 to 20, the 24th Winter Olympic Games will be held in Beijing. These are the first Winter Olympics held by China, and Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. This is a grand and happy event for both the sporting world and China, but it has …
(2022-02-02). US 'rules-based order' is a myth and China knows it. asiatimes.com 
A new bill in the United States will only add extra weight in Beijing to fears that the "rules-based" international order American politicians like to talk about is really about keeping the world's most populous country down. The America Competes Act of 2022, passed by the US House of Representatives last week, comes in at …
(2022-02-02). Stalinist Makabayan Coalition endorses right-wing Robredo campaign in the Philippines. wsws.org The most fundamental shared principle cited by Makabayan was Robredo's commitment to defend Philippine sovereignty against China's presence in the South China Sea. Makabayan, like Robredo, is lining up with Washington.
(2022-02-02). US Economic Policy is Bringing Famine to 23 Million Afghans. peaceaction.org People, Not Statistics Without urgent humanitarian support and international cooperation, one million children are predicted to starve this year in Afghanistan. Ever since America's withdrawal of troops from the country, humanitarian partners have been "racing against time to deliver aid and supplies" to half of the country's population that now requires humanitarian assistance to survive. …
(2022-02-02). The irony of America's 'woke' foreign policy. asiatimes.com 
The mid-20th-century Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr would have recognized the irony of a foreign policy that continually enters alliances (both covertly and overtly) with groups and causes that are themselves the very antithesis of the values that the US foreign-policy and defense establishments claim they are defending the world over. Over the past several years, the weaponization …
(2022-02-02). Eight people killed, wounded in Turkish attacks on N Iraq. en.mehrnews.com Iraqi media on Wednesday reported that at least eight people were killed and wounded in a Turkish fighter jets' attack on Sinjar in northern Iraq.
(2022-02-02). Iraqi Air Force Eliminated Two ISIS Cells In Nineveh With Pinpoint Airstrikes (Videos). southfront.org 
File image. | The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) continues to hunt down ISIS cells with support from local intelligence and security agencies. | On January 30, F-16 fighter jets of the IQAF targeted a hideout of ISIS located on a hill near the town of Sheikh Younis in the northern province of Nineveh. The airstrikes eliminated a cell of six terrorists. | ŸÉŸÖÿß ŸàÿπÿØŸÜÿßŸÉŸÖ ŸäŸàŸÖ ÿ&p…
(2022-02-02). Apartheid 2.0: Amnesty International Joins Chorus condemning Israeli rule over stateless Palestinians. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Israeli state has won the trifecta of condemnation by major human rights organizations, as, on Tuesday, Amnesty International joined with Human Rights Watch and B'Tselem in calling Israeli rule over the 5 million Palestinians of the Occupied Palestinian Territories a form of Apartheid. Amnesty carried out its investigation and …
(2022-02-02). Shutting Down Israel's Death Machine In Britain. popularresistance.org On January 13, campaigners announced that, after years of popular pressure and direct action, Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems had decided to bite the bullet and sell its factory located in Oldham in the northwest of England. | A week later, there was another victory for the anti-war activists, as a British judge dismissed the case against three members of the group Palestine Action who were on trial for occupying Elbit's factory in Shenstone, 60 miles to Oldham's south. | Today, The Watchdog speaks to three key members of the campaign to force Great Britain to divest itself from aiding in war crimes aroun…
(2022-02-02). The Act of Theatre that Shows Israel's Contempt for Gaza. orinocotribune.com 
By Eva Bartlett — Jan 30, 2022 | Israel has The soldier, who posted his bravado video to TikTok, reportedly got 10 days in military prison. According to an Israeli army statement, "The soldier's behavior in the video does not conform with the norms expected of so…
(2022-02-02). Annihilating the Virus Enemy in Japan. dissidentvoice.org 
According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 18,515 people had lost their lives to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by 24 January 2022. Of those deaths, four were minors, i.e., 19 years of age or younger. At this point, nobody can say exactly why the Archipelago of Japan has emerged …
(2022-02-02). Another US-Japan 2+2 Meeting. journal-neo.org 
The regular US-Japan meeting (2+2) (officially called the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee) in January this year, involving the foreign and defense ministers of both countries, is noteworthy for a number of reasons. First of all, it should once again be emphasized that the very existence of the 2+2 format in a pair of states is …
(2022-02-02). IMF says to Nepal Rastra Bank: "COVID-19 related support measures in the financial sector should however be gradually unwound, and the remaining ones should be targeted and time bound. mronline.org 
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed dissatisfaction over the role played by Nepal Rastra Bank to ensure stability of Nepal's banking sector.
(2022-02-02). What's at stake with SCOTUS nomination — an editorial. workers.org 
On the eve of Black History Month — February — President Joe Biden announced his intentions of nominating an African American woman to replace the soon-to-be-retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Sitting on the court now are six men and three women. All justices have life tenure, until either . . . |
(2022-02-02). February 2022 screenings: "Fedayin: Georges Abdallah's Fight" samidoun.net 
The busy schedule of "Fedayin: Georges Abdallah's Fight" is continuing in February 2022, with Collectif Vacarme(s) Films participating in 14 screenings already planned. The film traces the life story and struggle of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a tireless struggler for Palestine and an Arab Communist revolutionary, imprisoned in France for over 37 years. "Fedayin" travels with …
(2022-02-02). Interview: Attacks and defamation against the Collectif Palestine Vaincra target the entire Palestine solidarity movement. samidoun.net 
The following interview with Collectif Palestine Vaincra (a member organization of the Samidoun Network) was originally published in French at the Chronique de Palestine. Read the French original here: www.chroniquepalestine.com/attaque-diffamatoire-contre-collectif-palestine-vaincra-cible-ensemble-mouvement-solidarite-avec-palestine/ An interview with Tom Martin, spokesperson for the Collectif Palestine Vaincra. January 28, 2022 — The Collectif Palestine Vaincra, a very active and visible organization …
(2022-02-02). Palestine in Pictures: January 2022. electronicintifada.net A monthly roundup of photographs documenting Palestine, Palestinian life, politics and culture, and international solidarity with Palestine.
(2022-02-02). COVID-19 death of a student reported in Sri Lanka. wsws.org This tragic death demonstrates the criminality of the reopening of Sri Lankan schools amid the continuing spread of COVID-19.
(2022-02-02). Sabbagh: Western Coercive Measures Escalate Suffering of Millions of Syrians. orinocotribune.com Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations stressed that the US and EU illegitimate unilateral coercive measures escalated the suffering of millions of Syrians. | Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh made his remarks in a session of the Security Council on Friday on the humanitarian situation in Syria. | "The economic terrorism and the collective punishment policies represented by the illegitimate unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US and the EU have escalated the suffering of millions of Syrians who bear big burden to obtain their basic needs, in flagrant violation of all international legal standards…
(2022-02-02). West could have prevented deadly ISIS prison breakout in northeast Syria. greenleft.org.au The recent Islamic State (ISIS) attack on the al-Sina'a prison in Hesekê, northeast Syria, made headlines around the world, reports Peter Boyle. Aimed at freeing the almost 4000 ISIS members, the breakout began with an attack by suicide bombers on January 20.
(2022-02-02). SDF Continue To Search For Hundreds Of ISIS Terrorists Who Fled Al-Hasakah Prison (Videos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image. Source: the Hawar News Agency. | The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue to search for hundreds of ISIS terrorists who fled Geweran prison in the northeastern Syrian city of al-Hasakah nearly two weeks ago. | ISIS prison break attack, which started on
(2022-02-02). In Turkey, 'journalism is not just a profession, it is a responsibility'. greenleft.org.au Kurdish journalists continue to be killed or jailed simply for reporting the news, reports Steve Sweeney.
(2022-02-02). Wildcat strikes against high prices spread across Turkey amid pandemic. wsws.org As Erdogan's government has lifted all remaining measures against the COVID-19 pandemic and openly adopted a "herd immunity" policy, a wildcat strike wave against skyrocketing living costs is growing across the country.
(2022-02-02). Mysterious Group Attacks 'Vital Facilities' In UAE With Drones In Support Of Houthis. southfront.org 
Official logo of the Righteous Promise Brigades. Click to see full-size. | On February 2, the Righteous Promise Brigades (RPB) announced that it had attacked "vital facilities" in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, with four suicide drones. | A statement released by the group indicates that the attack was carried out in support of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen, where forces backed by the UAE escalated their military operations recently."The Righteous Promise Brigades will continue to inflict pa…
(2022-02-02). Military Situation In Yemen On January 2, 2022 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 152 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah in the past 24 hours; | On February 1, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 5 airstrikes on the Haradh district; | On February 1, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 11 airstrikes on the Sanaa province; | On February 1, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 2 airstrikes on the Jabal Habashi area; | On February 1, warpl…