2019-06-18: News Headlines

Sasha Abramsky (2019-06-18). The Florida GOP's Assault on Democracy. thenation.com The Florida GOP's Assault on Democracy…

Jim Miles (2019-06-18). The Management of Savagery — How America's National Security State Fueled the Rise of al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump. globalresearch.ca Even though the ending is known, Max Blumenthal's book The Management of Savagery draws the reader through an intriguing tale of media management, political management, financial management all with the goal of achieving the management of savagery. The title …

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Nicaragua Creates 2,000 'Reconciliation Commissions' for Peace. telesurenglish.net The Sandinista government of Nicaragua has established 2,000 "Reconciliation Commissions' around the country in a fresh bid to bring peace to the Central American country, one year on after right-wing protests calling for the ouster of President Daniel Ortega. | RELATED: | Nicaragua: New Law To Support Victims of Right-Wing Violence | "Nicaraguan families want security, work, prosperity, peace and we are winning it, it is the truth, because the majority of Nicaraguans want to l…

Staff (2019-06-18). Mali's Civil War Fueled by Climate Crisis and Corporate Greed. therealnews.com Baba Aye discusses the failure of French and German peacekeepers in Mali and the real role they play, after almost one hundred people were killed in a Dogon village and Fulani are blamed for the attack…

CGTN Africa (2019-06-18). China is Tanzania's largest investor. cgtn.com China is leading in Tanzania with huge investments followed by Britain and the United States, the east African nation's investment watchdog said on Monday. | Geoffrey Mwambe, the Executive Director of the Tanzania Investment Center, said factors that made investors to invest in Tanzania included the prevailing peace and political tranquility, economic stability, investment guarantees and rich natural resources such as arable land, natural gas and tourism. | Speaking at a business dialogue in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, Mwambe assured investors that the government will continue improving the business…

Staff (2019-06-18). The World Bank Helps Investors Choose the Law They Want (1/2). therealnews.com This is one of many examples that show how far the world has shifted from the paradigm of peace and social justice proposed in Philadelphia after WW2, to today's concept of 'Total Market' where human beings are like ammunition in a capitalist competition and financial markets are the final arbitrator and supreme legislator of human…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2019-06-18). U.S. Sanctions: Economic Sabotage that is Deadly, Illegal and Ineffective. counterpunch.org While the mystery of who is responsible for sabotaging the two tankers in the Gulf of Oman remains unsolved, it is clear that the Trump administration has been sabotaging Iranian oil shipments since May 2, when it announced its intention to "bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal source of revenue." More

Robert Fisk (2019-06-18). Trump's Evidence About Iran is "Dodgy" at Best. counterpunch.org The crackpot president of the United States of America has so snarled up the gangplank to truth these past 29 months that no matter how much "evidence" he and his crew produce to prove that the Iranians have been trying to blow up oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman — or not quite blow them up — the pictures have a kind of mesmeric quality about them. More

Michael T. Klare (2019-06-18). Bolton Wants to Fight Iran, But the Pentagon Has Its Sights on China. counterpunch.org The recent White House decision to speed the deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and other military assets to the Persian Gulf has led many in Washington and elsewhere to assume that the U.S. is gearing up for war with Iran. As in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, U.S. officials have More

Gary Leupp (2019-06-18). Marx and Walking Zen. counterpunch.org In March 1866 (the year before Volume One of Das Kapital was published), the 48-year-old Marx was vacationing on the Dutch coast, at Margate. He wrote a letter to his cousin Antoinette Philips, daughter of Lion Philips, a tobacco merchant in nearby Zaltbommel. (Lion was the husband of a woman who had married Heinrich Marx, More

Thomas Knapp (2019-06-18). Opposition Research: It's Not Trump's Fault That Politics is a "Dirty" Game. counterpunch.org In a June 12 interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, President Donald Trump freely admitted that he would listen to foreigners offering him "dirt" on his political opponents: "I think you might want to listen, there isn't anything wrong with listening …. Somebody comes up and says, 'hey, I have information on your opponent,' More

Dean Baker (2019-06-18). The Wall Street Journal Doesn't Like Rent Control. counterpunch.org We know that because of the way it presented the results of a study of the impact of rent control in New York City. The article showed the average savings on rent controlled units by borough, by income quartiles, and by race and ethnic group. It showed that the average savings were by far the More

John McMurtry (2019-06-18). Koch-Oil Big Lies and Ecocide Writ Large in Canada. counterpunch.org As we know, big lies can run free across borders with few joining the dots.For example, no media reports that China's growing dispute with Canada is based on Canada's enforcement of the Trump administration's unilateral and illegal embargo against oil-competitor Iran. A cynical reply is that this is predictable. Canada attacks any designated US Enemy in junior partnership with global corporate command.But this time there is a new twist. Canada is attacking itself without knowing it. More

Thomas Hon Wing Polin (2019-06-18). Color Revolution In Hong Kong: USA Vs. China. counterpunch.org Once again, the local government has "knelt down" before the forces of darkness. Mustering mass, violent protests, Hong Kong anti-Communists and their backers in the Anglo-American Empire have shown that they can grab the final say on crucial matters in China's premier Special Administrative Region (SAR). They have forced local authorities to shelve an important, More

Yoav Litvin (2019-06-18). Catch 2020 — Trump's Authoritarian Endgame. counterpunch.org On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Iran was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a version of events quickly challenged by Iran and the owner of the tanker. These accusations are reminiscent of similar charges lobbed at the Iranian regime in May, with some in the More

Cira Pascual Marquina (2019-06-18). Chavez, a mirror of the people: a conversation with Edgar Perez. mronline.org An organizer and intellectual from Caracas' La Vega barrio talks about the dialectical relationship between Hugo Chavez and the popular movement. | Source

Staff (2019-06-18). Headlines for June 18, 2019. democracynow.org Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi Dies, U.S. to Send 1,000 More Troops to Gulf as It Ignores Calls for Restraint, Mexico Deploys 6,000 Along Southern Border, Trump Tweets ICE Will Start Removing "Millions" of Immigrants from U.S., U.S. Cuts Aid to Central American Countries over Immigration, Nigeria: At Least 30 Killed in Suicide Bombing, U.N. Warns It May Suspend Yemen Food Aid, Israel Announces Plans for "Trump Heights" Settlement in Occupied Golan Heights, SCOTUS Rules Against Virginia GOP Appeal to Gerrymandering Case, SCOTUS Rules States and Federal Gov't Can Prosecute over Same Criminal Offenses, Tria…

teleSUR (2019-06-18). US to Begin Deporting 'Millions of Illegal' Immigrants: Trump. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. authorities will begin removing millions of immigrants who are in the United States illegally. | RELATED: | Trump Cuts Aid to Central America Over Migration, Warns Millions Will Be Deported | "Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States," Trump tweeted, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement a…

Kevin Gosztola (2019-06-18). Pentagon Has Emitted Over a Billion Metric Tons of Greenhouse Gases in Its War on Terror. mintpressnews.com With over 800 military bases in more than 80 countries, the Pentagon remains the "world's largest institutional user of petroleum" and "producer of greenhouse gases."

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Brazil: Odebrecht to Avoid Bankruptcy Through Recovery Plan. telesurenglish.net The Brazilian construction conglomerate, Odebrecht (ODB), which has admitted to paying out about US$7.88 billion in bribes over the past 20 years to win public contracts in Latin American countries, requested to file for bankruptcy protection Monday before a Sao Paulo court. The measure would allow the corporation to negotiate "recovery plan" with its creditors with the hope to avoid a shutting its doors. | RELATED: | Another Senior Peruvian Politician Gets Jail For Corruption | G…

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Brazil: Odebrecht to Avoid Bankruptcy Through A Recovery Plan. telesurenglish.net The Brazilian construction conglomerate, Odebrecht (ODB), which has admitted to paying out about US$7.88 billion in bribes over the past 20 years to win public contracts in Latin American countries, requested to file for bankruptcy Monday before a Sao Paulo court. The measure would allow the corporation to negotiate "recovery plan" with its creditors with the hope to avoid a shutting its doors. | RELATED: | Another Senior Peruvian Politician Gets Jail For Corruption | Given the "e…

Shane Quinn (2019-06-18). World War II: US Military Destroyed 66 Japanese Cities Before Planning to Wipe Out the Same Number of Soviet Cities. globalresearch.ca The extent of devastation inflicted upon Japan by the American military during World War II is not broadly known, even today. In reprisal for the attack over Pearl Harbor, which killed almost 2,500 Americans, US aircraft first began unloading bombs …

Aboulfotouh Kandil (2019-06-18). Morsi, Egypt's freely elected and imprisoned president, killed by regime. peoplesworld.org After six years of solitary confinement at a secret prison, Egypt's legitimate president, Mohamed Morsi, died yesterday after the latest in a string of judges ignored pleas to deal with his failing health. He has suffered from numerous medical conditions including heart failure and diabetes for years and has had not received necessary medical attention …

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Death Toll in Congo Climbs to 161 After Renewed Fighting. telesurenglish.net Nearly 161 people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province over the past week, local officials said on Monday. | RELATED: | WHO: Congo's Ebola Outbreak Not International Emergency | According to the officials, the killings are reported to have been ethnically targeted in an apparent resurgence of clashes between farming and herding communities. | Although identities of the attackers has not been confirmed, fingers point to violence between Hema herders and…

Staff (2019-06-18). US Sanctions Are Deadly, Illegal and Ineffective. truthout.org While the mystery of who is responsible for sabotaging the two tankers in the Gulf of Oman remains unsolved, it is clear that the Trump administration has been sabotaging Iranian oil shipments since May 2, when it announced its intention to "bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal source of revenue." The move was aimed at China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey, all nations that purchase Iranian oil and now face U.S. threats if the…

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Chinese President to Discuss Denuclearization With Kim Jung Un. telesurenglish.net The visit comes as the peninsula settlement process has reached a deadlock after the Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. While Washington demands that Pyongyang completely dismantle nuclear facilities in the country in order to get sanctions relief, North Korea wants part of restrictions to be lifted before denuclearization begins.

Larry Chin (2019-06-18). False Flags: The Process of "False Flagging" the World towards War. The CIA Weaponizes Hollywood. globalresearch.ca Almost all wars begin with false flag operations. The coming conflicts in North Korea and Russia are no exception. Mass public hysteria is being manufactured to justify aggression against Moscow and Pyongyang, in retaliation for acts attributed to the North Korean and Russian governments, but orchestrated and carried out by the CIA and the Pentagon.

Han Gil Jang (2019-06-18). People's Tribunal on War Crimes by South Korean Troops During the Vietnam War. asia-pacificresearch.com

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-06-18). 'If This Is True, They Are Even Bigger Lunatics Than We Realized': UN Officials Reportedly Believe Trump Planning 'Massive' Bombing Campaign in Iran. commondreams.org "There would be no going back from this. There's no such thing as a 'one and done' military strike on Iran." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_trump_bolton_pompeo_0.jpg

Prof Rodrigue Tremblay (2019-06-18). The Trump-Bolton Duo Is Just Like the Bush-Cheney Duo: Warmongers Using Lies to Start Illegal Wars. globalresearch.ca [False flag operations: ] "The powers-that-be understand that to create the appropriate atmosphere for war, it's necessary to create within the general populace a hatred, fear or mistrust of others regardless of whether those others belong to a certain group of …

Staff (2019-06-18). U.N. Officials Fear Trump Planning 'Massive' Bombing Campaign in Iran. truthdig.com A troubling new Jerusalem Post report raises the specter of a possible aerial strike on a facility linked to Tehran's nuclear program.

WSWS (2019-06-18). UK: Tory government positions itself as most loyal US ally against Iran. wsws.org One hundred UK Royal Marines will be deployed within weeks, where they will join naval ships operating from a new UK naval base in Bahrain.

Tara Sepehri Far (2019-06-18). I Funded My Own Twitter Troll With Taxpayer Dollars. thenation.com I Funded My Own Twitter Troll With Taxpayer Dollars…

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-06-18). Report: US Planning "Massive" Airstrike on an Iranian Facility. theantimedia.com (CJ Opinion) — According to a new article from English-language Israeli publication The Jerusalem Post, the Hebrew-language Israeli publication Maariv has reported that diplomatic sources in the UN are assessing a US plan to conduct a "massive" airstrike on "an Iranian facility linked to its nuclear program" in response to alleged attacks on two sea vessels in the Gulf of Oman. "The sources …

Maj. Danny Sjursen (2019-06-18). The Drumbeat for War With Iran Sounds All Too Familiar. truthdig.com From the U.S.S. Maine to the Gulf of Tonkin, the U.S. has a history of using alleged naval provocations as a pretext for military conflict.

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-06-18). 'Barreling Towards Another Catastrophic War,' Trump Orders 1,000 More Troops to Middle East to Threaten Iran. commondreams.org "None of this would be happening if Trump didn't back out of the Iran nuclear deal," said Rep. Ilhan Omar | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_pentagon_troops_iran.jpg

Staff (2019-06-18). The U.S. Is Only Further Isolating Itself From Its Allies Over Iran. truthdig.com Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Colin Powell, assesses the Trump administration's dangerous brinksmanship in the Middle East.

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Iran Will Not Go to War Against Any Nation: Rouhani. telesurenglish.net Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated on Tuesday that his nation has no plans to enter a war with any nation, including the United States. | RELATED: | US to Send Additional 1,000 Troops to Middle East As Warmongering Continues | "Iran will not wage war against any nation," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state TV. "Those facing us are a group of politicians with little experience." | He added, "Despite all of the Americans' efforts in the region and t…

Tyler Durden (2019-06-18). Iran's Ambassador: "Unfortunately We Are Heading Towards a Confrontation" With US. theantimedia.com (ZH) — The Iranian Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad warned that the United States and Iran are "unfortunately headed toward a confrontation which is very serious for everybody in the region." In an interview with Christiane Amanpour, the Ambassador reacted to rapidly escalating tensions between the two countries — late on Monday the US announced …

Staff (2019-06-18). Wilkerson: US Further Isolates Itself From Its Allies Over Iran Policy. therealnews.com With the announcement that Iran will break the terms of its nuclear agreement, for stockpiling enriched uranium, the stage is set for a confrontation between the US and its European allies. The situation will contribute to greater US isolation, says Col. Wilkerson…

Staff (2019-06-18). Trump Orders 1,000 More Troops to Middle East to Threaten Iran. truthout.org With U.N. officials reportedly worried that the United States is planning to carry out a bombing campaign against Iran — a move that ultra-hawkish Sen. Tom Cotton openly advocated over the weekend — the Trump administration late Monday announced the deployment of 1,000 more troops to the Middle East following attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. | The…

NationAction (2019-06-18). Take Action Now: Stop Trump's Phony War With Iran. thenation.com Take Action Now: Stop Trump's Phony War With Iran…

teleSUR (2019-06-18). Iran Urges Global Resistance Against US 'Economic Terrorism'. telesurenglish.net Speaking in Russia Tuesday, a senior Iranian official blasted the U.S. and called for resistance around the world against U.S. "illegal bullying," following Donald Trump administration's attacks on sovereignty and international security. | RELATED: | Iran Says It Dismantled a US Cyber Espionage Network | "If a wide range of countries decides to stand up to the illegal US blackmail and bullying, we can make the US retreat and adopt a rational and responsible behavior in the international…

Philip Giraldi (2019-06-18). False Identities Become the New Weapon: War with Iran Promoted by Fake Journalists. globalresearch.ca One of the claims made about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election was that Kremlin-controlled entities were using fake identities to create dissension and confusion on social network sites. This should surprise no one, if it is true, …

Pepe Escobar (2019-06-18). Iran at the Center of the Eurasian Riddle. globalresearch.ca With the dogs of war on full alert, something extraordinary happened at the 19th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) late last week in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. | Virtually unknown across the West, the SCO is the foremost Eurasian political, economic …

Staff (2019-06-18). Wilkerson: US Further Isolate Itself Over Iran. therealnews.com With the announcement that Iran will break the terms of its nuclear agreement, for stockpiling enriched uranium, the stage is set for a confrontation between the US and its European allies. The situation will contribute to greater US isolation, says Col. Wilkerson…

WSWS (2019-06-18). US preparing "assault" against Iran. wsws.org The Jerusalem Post reported that the Trump administration is actively planning a "tactical assault" on Iran, involving a massive air attack on an Iranian nuclear facility.

The Mind Unleashed (2019-06-18). Nobody Believes US Claims That Iran Attacked Those Oil Tankers. theantimedia.com (TMU Op-ed) — While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to rush to the conclusion that Iran was the key actor behind alleged attacks on oil tankers in one of the world's most strategically important oil routes—the Strait of Hormuz—the world has grown increasingly weary of the tall tales spun from Washington in its pursuit of …

Manlio Dinucci (2019-06-18). Chi sono gli incendiari di petroliere. globalresearch.ca Mentre gli Stati uniti preparano una nuova escalation in Medio Oriente, accusando l'Iran di attaccare le petroliere nel Golfo di Oman, il vice-premier Matteo Salvini incontra a Washington il segretario di Stato Mike Pompeo, uno degli artefici di tale strategia, …

Eds. (2019-06-18). Without a shred of evidence, U.S. accuses Iran of attacking tankers. mronline.org Mike Pompeo, in a press conference, accused Iran of engineering the attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. However, he cited unnamed intelligence reports and other vague references in support of his claim. | Source