Daily Archives: April 12, 2019

2019-04-12: News Headlines

Alexander Rubinstein (2019-04-12). Protesters Call on UK to #FreeAssange Outside British Embassy in DC. mintpressnews.com "It's totally backwards and we're calling for him to be freed. And I would like the people who got us into the wars to be the ones behind bars." – Codepink co-founder Medea Benjamin…

Richard Greeman (2019-04-12). Yellow Vest Movement Struggles to Reinvent Democracy as Macron Cranks Up Propaganda and Repression. counterpunch.org After five months of constant presence at traffic circles, toll-booths and hazardous Saturday marches, the massive, self-organized social movement known as the Yellow Vests has just held its second nationwide "Assembly of Assemblies." Hundreds of autonomous Yellow Vest activist groups from all over France each chose two delegates (one woman, one man) to gather in More

Thomas Knapp (2019-04-12). Pardoning Assange Would be the First Step Back Toward Rule of Law. counterpunch.org On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn. Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country's London embassy. British police immediately arrested him — supposedly pursuant to his "crime" of jumping bail on an invalid arrest warrant in an investigation since dropped without charges More

teleSUR (2019-04-12). Sudan Coup Leader Steps Down After One Day. telesurenglish.net Sudanase Defense Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf was supposed to lead the Military Transitional Council (MTC) that is supposed to run the country for up to two years until new presidential elections are had. | Just a day after overthrowing former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir who was in power since 1989, Ibn Auf stepped down as the council leader. Protesters say Ibn Auf is too close to the now former regime. | At least 38 people have been killed so far in the protests to oust Bashir that began last December. | More news to follow. | former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir…

United Nations (2019-04-12). Sudan military committed to 'ensuring stability' and 'peaceful transition' says senior diplomat, as UN rights chief appeals for protesters' rights to be upheld. un.org Sudan's military has an "overarching duty" to refrain from using violence against protesters and ensure that their human rights are protected amid concerns of a further escalation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday.

teleSUR (2019-04-12). Sudan: Military Council Promises a Civilian Government in 2021. telesurenglish.net General Omar Zein Alabidin said Friday that the Military Transitional Council (MTC) only wants to organize a y civilian government within the next two years. Meanwhile Sudanese citizens continued protesting in the capital city against the old regime and MTC who they say are incapable of "creating change." | RELATED: | Sudan's Army Arrests Bashir, Declares 3 Months Emergency Period | The council that now runs Sudan under Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said it hopin…

Democracy Now! (2019-04-12). Headlines for April 12, 2019. democracynow.org Julian Assange's Lawyers Vow to Fight His Extradition to the United States, Ecuadorean Ex-President Criticizes Successor for Allowing Assange to Be Arrested, Trump Claims "I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks" Despite Praising Site Repeatedly in 2016, Sudanese Protesters Denounce Military Rule, Call for Civilian Government, Report: White House Pushed Plan to Send Migrants to Sanctuary Cities to Punish Dems, Official Who Compared Family Detention Centers to Summer Camps Set to Become Head of ICE, More Offshore Drilling Feared as Senate Confirms Ex-Oil Lobbyist to Head Interior, Report: Amazon, Netflix, IBM, Chevron Paid…

teleSUR (2019-04-12). US's Pompeo Visits Latam, Increases Pressure Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived Friday in Santiago to meet Chile's President Sebastian Piñera and Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Ampuero. | RELATED: | Mike Pompeo Plans Anti-Venezuela Tour in Latin America | Although th…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2019-04-12). Roaming Charges: Tongue-Tied and Twisted. counterpunch.org The main difference between the anonymous leaks from US intelligence officials about RussiaGate peddled nightly on MSDNC, CNN, the NYT and the Washington Post and Julian Assange's exposure of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan is that what Wikileaks published turned out to be true. In this system, you're only held accountable for exposing the truth about imperial power. More

Global Research News (2019-04-12). Selected Articles: Assange's Extradition to the US Is Imminent. globalresearch.ca A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer". | . | . | | | If, like us, this is …

Dave Lindorff (2019-04-12). Free Julian Assange! Stand Up for Press Freedom! counterpunch.org The arrest by British Metropolitan Police of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, dragged unceremonially out of the Ecuadoran Embassy in London on a charge of failure to appear for a court hearing on an expired (and trumped-up) accusation in Sweden of sexual assault, is a grave and terrible threat to independent journalism and to the US Constitution's First More

Nozomi Hayase (2019-04-12). Why Julian Assange's Extradition Must Be Opposed at All Costs. counterpunch.org On Thursday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by the UK police inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he was granted political asylum in 2012. This termination of asylum by Ecuador in violation of international law comes a week after WikiLeaks warned the public it had received information from two high-level Ecuadorian government sources More

Jonathan Cook (2019-04-12). After 7 Years of Deceptions About Assange, the US Readies for Its First Media Rendition. counterpunch.org For seven years, from the moment Julian Assange first sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, they have been telling us we were wrong, that we were paranoid conspiracy theorists. We were told there was no real threat of Assange's extradition to the United States, that it was all in our fevered imaginations. For More

John Pilger (2019-04-12). The Assange Arrest is a Warning From History. counterpunch.org The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his first natural light in almost seven years. That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to shame and anger all who fear for "democratic" societies. Assange is a political refugee protected by international law, the recipient of asylum under a strict covenant to which Britain is a signatory. The United Nations made this clear…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-04-12). Shredding Asylum: the Arrest of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move in a compound. The Ecuadorean embassy in London only offered modest space and access to More

Kevin Gosztola (2019-04-12). Espionage? Computer Crimes? The DOJ's Cast Against Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com The United States Justice Department dramatically escalated its political prosecution of WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange. Their efforts are aimed at criminalizing a journalist—and more broadly, a media organization—for allegedly aiding and abetting the disclosure of classified information and publishing that information on the internet. | Assange was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in the United Kingdom and arrested by British police on April 11. The expulsion and arrest was linked to an indictment and extradition request that was filed many months ago by the United States government. | He…

John Pilger (2019-04-12). John Pilger: The Assange Arrest Is a Warning From History. mintpressnews.com That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to shame and anger all who fear for "democratic" societies, writes John Pilger,…

Dr. Leon Tressell (2019-04-12). British Government Arrests WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange on Behalf of the American Empire. globalresearch.ca Today the UK government broke international law by arresting Julian Assange in the embassy of Ecuador at the behest of the United States. The British government has been ignoring for years demands from UN human rights experts to release Assange

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2019-04-12). Julian Assange: The Age of Injustice. globalresearch.ca April 11, 2019, brought us a new word for Judas: Moreno—the puppet president of Ecuador who sold Julian Assange to Washington for his 30 pieces of silver. | This morning's arrest of Assange inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London is the …

Massoud Nayeri (2019-04-12). Julian Assange Message Is to "Resist!" globalresearch.ca In a shameful public lynching of Julian Assange after his arrest, ladies and gentlemen of the media in "civilized" America are carrying their torches high and calling him the "America's number one enemy". | The fact is that these media mercenaries …

Stephen Lendman (2019-04-12). USA v. Julian Assange: DOJ Indictment on Phony Charge Revealed. globalresearch.ca Following Assange's Thursday arrest by UK police in Ecuador's London embassy after his asylum status was illegally rescinded by President Lenin Moreno, acting in cahoots with the US and Britain, the DOJ confirmed what's widely known. | Its spokeswoman Nicole …

Defend Democracy Press (2019-04-12). Video: Assange's Lawyer Says Wikileaks Founder's Life in Danger if Extradited to the U.S. globalresearch.ca According to a report by Reuters, on Thursday, Julian Assange's lawyer said that the life of the Wikileaks founder would be in danger if he is extradited to the United States following his arrest in London. Assange's lawyer, Carlos Poveda…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2019-04-12). Shredding Asylum: The Arrest of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move …

Kurt Nimmo (2019-04-12). Open Letter to President Trump on the Arrest of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Mr. President, | Your Deep State handlers have finally managed to have WikiLeaks publisher and editor Julian Assange dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London and arrested. He faces extradition to the United States where more than a few people …

Mark Taliano (2019-04-12). Julian Assange Should be Lauded and Protected, Not Persecuted and Destroyed. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange is a hero. He defied the globalizing apparatus of fascist repression to expose the war criminals in our midst. Now, the same war criminals and their agencies who commit supreme international war crimes as policy have apprehended him….

John Pilger (2019-04-12). The Assange Arrest Is a Warning from History. globalresearch.ca The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his …

Stephen Lendman (2019-04-12). Assange's Arrest Criminalizes Truth-Telling Journalism. globalresearch.ca In August 2012, Assange sought and was granted asylum in Ecuador's London embassy (by then-President Correa) to avoid arrest, extradition to Sweden on phony rape and sexual assault charges. | They were all about wanting him handed over to the US …

ANSWER Coalition (2019-04-12). Julian Assange arrested: The warmakers' assault on free press. liberationnews.org Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's arrest by UK authorities on behalf of the United States is a craven attempt by the Pentagon war machine and the rest of the imperial establishment to silence one of their most prominent critics.

STAFF (2019-04-12). Assange Arrested for Exposing U.S. War Crimes — Paul Jay. therealnews.com Wikileaks released Manning's leaked documents and exposed multiple crimes committed by the U.S. government and armed forces — Jay says this is getting lost in the corporate media coverage of Assange's arrest; when he was arrested, Assange carried a copy of TRNN's book "Gore Vidal on the History of the National Security State" which was…

STAFF (2019-04-12). Daniel Ellsberg: Assange's Arrest Is the Beginning of the End. truthdig.com The famed whistleblower and author warns that we are witnessing an assault on the First Amendment that spells the demise of a free press.

Consortiumnews (2019-04-12). JOHN PILGER: Assange Arrest a Warning from History. consortiumnews.com Real journalism is being criminalized by thugs in plain sight, says John Pilger. Dissent has become an indulgence. And the British elite has abandoned its last imperial myth: that of fairness and justice. By John Pilger The glimpse of Julian… Read more →

John Pilger (2019-04-12). The Assange Arrest is a Warning From History. telesurenglish.net The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his first natural light in almost seven years. | RELATED: | Ecuador Failed to Notify Assange's Defense of Asylum Withdrawal: Lawyer | That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to sh…

Robert Fisk (2019-04-12). What Ivanka Told Us About Trump's Meeting With el-Sisi. counterpunch.org Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president and wife of Middle East "expert" Jared Kushner — he who has supposedly produced a Middle East "peace plan" to be revealed after Benjamin Netanyahu wins the Israeli elections — has just given her support to a regime which has locked up women political prisoners, "disappeared" others, and whose army forcibly carried out virginity tests More

Julia Kassem (2019-04-12). Civil Rights Groups and Pro-war Republicans—An unholy Alliance in the Soft War Against China. counterpunch.org Last month, Mike Pompeo, amidst his soft war campaign to undermine the governments of Venezuela, Iran, and Lebanon, expressed concern for the 'abhorrent' allegations of Chinese Muslim internment. Pompeo, currently working to destabilize a number of Global South nations and groups, did not suddenly develop a moral consciousness for the plight of Muslims. Rather, his More

Democracy Now! (2019-04-12). Noam Chomsky: We Must Confront the "Ultranationalist, Reactionary" Movements Growing Across Globe. democracynow.org On Thursday night, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. He looked back at the rise of fascism in the 20th century and the growing ultranationalist movements of today, from Brazil and the United States to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Democracy Now! (2019-04-12). Chomsky: Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change & the Undermining of Democracy Threaten Future of Planet. democracynow.org As President Trump pulls out of key nuclear agreements with Russia and moves to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Noam Chomsky looks at how the threat of nuclear war remains one of the most pressing issues facing mankind. In a speech at the Old South Church in Boston, Chomsky also discusses the threat of climate change and the undermining of democracy across the globe.

Frida Berrigan (2019-04-12). Nuclear Weapons Ruined My Life…and I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way. counterpunch.org I want to offer you something different than the barrage of facts and figures around nuclear weapons. But let's establish the basics. There are nine countries that possess them: France, China, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and — of course — Russia and the United States. Together these nine countries possess a total More

Jim Kavanagh (2019-04-12). Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics. counterpunch.org So the Mueller investigation is over. The official "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election" has been written, and is in the hands of Attorney General William Barr, who has issued a summary of its findings. On the core mandate of the investigation, given to Special Counsel Mueller by Rod Rosenstein as Acting Attorney General in May of 2017—to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump"—the takeaway conclusion stated in the Mueller report, as quoted in th…

Ishmael Reed (2019-04-12). CounterPunch on Stage: The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda. counterpunch.org My real purpose for traveling to the East in January was to attend the showing of a two hour and forty-five-minute film that Steve Cannon, Walter Cotton and I produced in 1980, "81," that was scheduled to be shown Washington's National Gallery. Since Kino Lorber restored the film, it has been shown at museums and More

Yoav Litvin (2019-04-12). To Be or Not to be a Zionist? counterpunch.org Jewish American progressives are falling for the oldest trick in the Zionist playbook: the conflation of Zionism with Judaism. The ultimate victims of this propaganda ploy are always Palestinians. Sheldon's Party Last Sunday, Sheldon Adelson's Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) welcomed President of the United States, serial sexual harasser and inspiration to murderous white supremacists worldwide — More

Paul Street (2019-04-12). On False Dichotomies, Real and Fake, at MSDNC. counterpunch.org Photograph Source Spud of Inside Cable news — CC BY 2.0 | Not a False Dichotomy: (Eco-)Socialism or Exterminist Capitalism | Antonio Gramsci would be impressed by the "liberal" Democratic Party broadcast network MSNBC, whose function is to advance the political hegemony of finance capital between drug, car, business consulting, insurance, and financial services commercials for affluent Baby Boomers. | Last Wednesday the discussion became spirited on an "expert panel" convened by MSDNC morning host Stephanie Ruhle, a former leading global derivatives trader. The topic that animated Ruhle and her guests was Am…

CP Editor (2019-04-12). Jimi Hendrix on The Experience. counterpunch.org

David Rosen (2019-04-12). The Abortion Wars Get Meaner. counterpunch.org At the end of March 2019, the legislatures of Georgia and Mississippi passed laws that would ban legal abortions after six weeks of a woman's pregnancy; Georgia's version was labelled the "Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act". After the bill's passage, Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp proclaimed, "Georgia values life. We stand up for the innocent and speak for More

George Wuerthner (2019-04-12). Idaho's Wolf Bounty: a Return to the Dark Ages of Wildlife Management. counterpunch.org I sometimes feel like I am going back in time when I visit Idaho. The attitudes of Idaho lawmakers and some citizens seems like a time warp. A step backward to the "good old days" is represented by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission who voted to spend $23,069 to help fund a $1000 wolf More

Eds. (2019-04-12). Venezuela confronts fabricated chaos. mronline.org Against all imperialist logic, the Venezuelan people refuse to be subjugated. | Source

Ramzy Baroud (2019-04-12). The Unfinished Gaza War: What Netanyahu Hopes to Gain from Attacking Palestinian Prisoners. counterpunch.org The current violence targeting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails dates back to January 2. It was then that Israel's Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan declared that the "party is over." "Every so often, infuriating pictures appear of cooking in the terrorist wings. This party is coming to an end," Erdan was quoted in the Jerusalem More

Andre Vltchek (2019-04-12). Russia Warns Bolton: 'Monroe Doctrine' Remarks Insulting to Latin America. mintpressnews.com The Trump administration is re-deploying old and fatal Cold War warriors, elevating them to high positions. The same people who were murdering, plotting and cheering assassins. The list reads like a "Wanted for Genocide" catalog: Elliott Abrams, Michael Pompeo and yes: John Bolton.

South Front (2019-04-12). Video: Turkey Aims to Seize Tell Rifaat after Russian Forces Withdrawal. globalresearch.ca On April 11, the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate prevented a terrorist attack in the city of Homs. Local sources said that intelligence agents dismantled a remotely-controlled heavy improvised-explosive device, which was attached to a civilian vehicle near the Akramah al-Makhzomeh …

commondreams (2019-04-12). Survivors of War Crimes in Afghanistan Denied Justice. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-04-12). ICC Refuses to Investigate Crimes in Afghanistan, Including U.S. Torture. commondreams.org ______________________________…

2019-04-12: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Protesters Call on UK to #FreeAssange Outside British Embassy in DC
Alexander Rubinstein | mintpressnews.com | 2019-04-12
"It's totally backwards and we're calling for him to be freed. And I would like the people who got us into the wars to be the ones behind bars." – Codepink co-founder Medea Benjamin…
mintpressnews.com/protest-call-on-uk-to-freeassange-outside-british-embassy-in-dc/257345/

Yellow Vest Movement Struggles to Reinvent Democracy as Macron Cranks Up Propaganda and Repression
Richard Greeman | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
After five months of constant presence at traffic circles, toll-booths and hazardous Saturday marches, the massive, self-organized social movement known as the Yellow Vests has just held its second nationwide "Assembly of Assemblies." Hundreds of autonomous Yellow Vest activist groups from all over France each chose two delegates (one woman, one man) to gather in…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/yellow-vest-movement-struggles-to-reinvent-democracy-as-macron-cranks-up-propaganda-and-repression/

Pardoning Assange Would be the First Step Back Toward Rule of Law
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn. Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country's London embassy. British police immediately arrested him — supposedly pursuant to his "crime" of jumping bail on an invalid arrest warrant in an investigation since dropped without charges…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/pardoning-assange-would-be-the-first-step-back-toward-rule-of-law-2/

Sudan Coup Leader Steps Down After One Day
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-04-12
Sudanase Defense Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf was supposed to lead the Military Transitional Council (MTC) that is supposed to run the country for up to two years until new presidential elections are had. | Just a day after overthrowing former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir who was in power since 1989, Ibn Auf stepped down as the council leader. Protesters say Ibn Auf is too close to the now former regime. | At least 38 people have been killed so far in the protests to oust Bashir that began last December. | More news to follow. | former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sudan-Coup-Leader-Steps-Down-After-One-Day–20190412-0018.html

Sudan military committed to 'ensuring stability' and 'peaceful transition' says senior diplomat, as UN rights chief appeals for protesters' rights to be upheld
United Nations | un.org | 2019-04-12
Sudan's military has an "overarching duty" to refrain from using violence against protesters and ensure that their human rights are protected amid concerns of a further escalation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/04/1036571

Sudan: Military Council Promises a Civilian Government in 2021
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-04-12
General Omar Zein Alabidin said Friday that the Military Transitional Council (MTC) only wants to organize a y civilian government within the next two years. Meanwhile Sudanese citizens continued protesting in the capital city against the old regime and MTC who they say are incapable of "creating change." | RELATED: | Sudan's Army Arrests Bashir, Declares 3 Months Emergency Period | The council that now runs Sudan under Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said it hopin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sudan-Military-Council-Promises-a-Civilian-Government-in-2021-20190412-0012.html

Roaming Charges: Tongue-Tied and Twisted
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
The main difference between the anonymous leaks from US intelligence officials about RussiaGate peddled nightly on MSDNC, CNN, the NYT and the Washington Post and Julian Assange's exposure of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan is that what Wikileaks published turned out to be true. In this system, you're only held accountable for exposing the truth about imperial power.
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/roaming-charges-tongue-tied-and-twisted/

Selected Articles: Assange's Extradition to the US Is Imminent
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer". | . | . | | | If, like us, this is …
globalresearch.ca/assanges-extradition-us-imminent/5674235

Why Julian Assange's Extradition Must Be Opposed at All Costs
Nozomi Hayase | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
On Thursday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by the UK police inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he was granted political asylum in 2012. This termination of asylum by Ecuador in violation of international law comes a week after WikiLeaks warned the public it had received information from two high-level Ecuadorian government sources…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/why-julian-assanges-extradition-must-be-opposed-at-all-costs/

Shredding Asylum: the Arrest of Julian Assange
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move in a compound. The Ecuadorean embassy in London only offered modest space and access to…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/shredding-asylum-the-arrest-of-julian-assange/

Free Julian Assange! Stand Up for Press Freedom!
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
The arrest by British Metropolitan Police of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, dragged unceremonially out of the Ecuadoran Embassy in London on a charge of failure to appear for a court hearing on an expired (and trumped-up) accusation in Sweden of sexual assault, is a grave and terrible threat to independent journalism and to the US Constitution's First…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/free-julian-assange-stand-up-for-press-freedom/

After 7 Years of Deceptions About Assange, the US Readies for Its First Media Rendition
Jonathan Cook | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
For seven years, from the moment Julian Assange first sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, they have been telling us we were wrong, that we were paranoid conspiracy theorists. We were told there was no real threat of Assange's extradition to the United States, that it was all in our fevered imaginations. For…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/after-7-years-of-deceptions-about-assange-the-us-readies-for-its-first-media-rendition/

The Assange Arrest is a Warning From History
John Pilger | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his first natural light in almost seven years. That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to shame and anger all who fear for "democratic" societies. Assange is a political refugee protected by international law, the recipient of asylum under a strict covenant to which Britain is a signatory. The United Nations made this clear…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/the-assange-arrest-is-a-warning-from-history/

Espionage? Computer Crimes? The DOJ's Cast Against Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange
Kevin Gosztola | mintpressnews.com | 2019-04-12
The United States Justice Department dramatically escalated its political prosecution of WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange. Their efforts are aimed at criminalizing a journalist–and more broadly, a media organization–for allegedly aiding and abetting the disclosure of classified information and publishing that information on the internet. | Assange was expelled from the Ecuador embassy in the United Kingdom and arrested by British police on April 11. The expulsion and arrest was linked to an indictment and extradition request that was filed many months ago by the United States government. | He…
mintpressnews.com/espionage-computer-crimes-the-dojs-cast-against-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange/257353/

John Pilger: The Assange Arrest Is a Warning From History
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2019-04-12
That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to shame and anger all who fear for "democratic" societies, writes John Pilger,…
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-julian-assange-arrest-warning-history/257337/

Open Letter to President Trump on the Arrest of Julian Assange
Kurt Nimmo | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
Mr. President, | Your Deep State handlers have finally managed to have WikiLeaks publisher and editor Julian Assange dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London and arrested. He faces extradition to the United States where more than a few people …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-president-trump-arrest-julian-assange/5674203

British Government Arrests WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange on Behalf of the American Empire
Dr. Leon Tressell | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
Today the UK government broke international law by arresting Julian Assange in the embassy of Ecuador at the behest of the United States. The British government has been ignoring for years demands from UN human rights experts to release Assange …
globalresearch.ca/british-government-arrests-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-behalf-american-empire/5674195

The Assange Arrest Is a Warning from History
John Pilger | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his …
globalresearch.ca/assange-arrest-warning-history/5674239

Julian Assange Message Is to "Resist!"
Massoud Nayeri | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
In a shameful public lynching of Julian Assange after his arrest, ladies and gentlemen of the media in "civilized" America are carrying their torches high and calling him the "America's number one enemy". | The fact is that these media mercenaries …
globalresearch.ca/julian-assange-resist/5674230

Video: Assange's Lawyer Says Wikileaks Founder's Life in Danger if Extradited to the U.S
Defend Democracy Press | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
According to a report by Reuters, on Thursday, Julian Assange's lawyer said that the life of the Wikileaks founder would be in danger if he is extradited to the United States following his arrest in London. Assange's lawyer, Carlos Poveda…
globalresearch.ca/assanges-lawyer-says-wikileaks-founders-life-danger-extradited-u-s/5674257

USA v. Julian Assange: DOJ Indictment on Phony Charge Revealed
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
Following Assange's Thursday arrest by UK police in Ecuador's London embassy after his asylum status was illegally rescinded by President Lenin Moreno, acting in cahoots with the US and Britain, the DOJ confirmed what's widely known. | Its spokeswoman Nicole …
globalresearch.ca/usa-julian-assange-doj-indictment-phony-charge-revealed/5674255

Shredding Asylum: The Arrest of Julian Assange
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
The man seemed like a bearded emissary, a holy figure nabbed in his sleep. He looked similarly pale as to how he did in 2013, but he cut a more shocking figure. Most prisoners would have had room to move …
globalresearch.ca/arrest-julian-assange/5674217

Julian Assange Should be Lauded and Protected, Not Persecuted and Destroyed
Mark Taliano | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
Julian Assange is a hero. He defied the globalizing apparatus of fascist repression to expose the war criminals in our midst. Now, the same war criminals and their agencies who commit supreme international war crimes as policy have apprehended him….
globalresearch.ca/julian-assange-lauded-protected-not-persecuted-destroyed/5674246

Julian Assange: The Age of Injustice
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
April 11, 2019, brought us a new word for Judas: Moreno–the puppet president of Ecuador who sold Julian Assange to Washington for his 30 pieces of silver. | This morning's arrest of Assange inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London is the …
globalresearch.ca/age-injustice/5674215

Assange's Arrest Criminalizes Truth-Telling Journalism
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
In August 2012, Assange sought and was granted asylum in Ecuador's London embassy (by then-President Correa) to avoid arrest, extradition to Sweden on phony rape and sexual assault charges. | They were all about wanting him handed over to the US …
globalresearch.ca/assanges-arrest-criminalizes-truth-telling-journalism/5674248

Daniel Ellsberg: Assange's Arrest Is the Beginning of the End
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-04-12
The famed whistleblower and author warns that we are witnessing an assault on the First Amendment that spells the demise of a free press.
truthdig.com/articles/daniel-ellsberg-assanges-arrest-is-the-beginning-of-the-end/

Assange Arrested for Exposing U.S. War Crimes — Paul Jay
STAFF | therealnews.com | 2019-04-12
Wikileaks released Manning's leaked documents and exposed multiple crimes committed by the U.S. government and armed forces — Jay says this is getting lost in the corporate media coverage of Assange's arrest; when he was arrested, Assange carried a copy of TRNN's book "Gore Vidal on the History of the National Security State" which was…
therealnews.com/stories/assange-arrested-for-exposing-u-s-war-crimes-paul-jay

Julian Assange arrested: The warmakers' assault on free press
ANSWER Coalition | liberationnews.org | 2019-04-12
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's arrest by UK authorities on behalf of the United States is a craven attempt by the Pentagon war machine and the rest of the imperial establishment to silence one of their most prominent critics.
liberationnews.org/julian-assange-arrested-the-warmakers-assault-on-free-press/

The Assange Arrest is a Warning From History
John Pilger | telesurenglish.net | 2019-04-12
The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his first natural light in almost seven years. | RELATED: | Ecuador Failed to Notify Assange's Defense of Asylum Withdrawal: Lawyer | That this outrage happened in the heart of London, in the land of Magna Carta, ought to sh…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-Assange-Arrest-is-a-Warning-From-History-20190412-0017.html

JOHN PILGER: Assange Arrest a Warning from History
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2019-04-12
Real journalism is being criminalized by thugs in plain sight, says John Pilger. Dissent has become an indulgence. And the British elite has abandoned its last imperial myth: that of fairness and justice. By John Pilger The glimpse of Julian… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/04/12/assange-arrest-a-warning-from-history/

What Ivanka Told Us About Trump's Meeting With el-Sisi
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president and wife of Middle East "expert" Jared Kushner — he who has supposedly produced a Middle East "peace plan" to be revealed after Benjamin Netanyahu wins the Israeli elections — has just given her support to a regime which has locked up women political prisoners, "disappeared" others, and whose army forcibly carried out virginity tests…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/what-ivanka-told-us-about-trumps-meeting-with-el-sisi/

Civil Rights Groups and Pro-war Republicans–An unholy Alliance in the Soft War Against China
Julia Kassem | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
Last month, Mike Pompeo, amidst his soft war campaign to undermine the governments of Venezuela, Iran, and Lebanon, expressed concern for the 'abhorrent' allegations of Chinese Muslim internment. Pompeo, currently working to destabilize a number of Global South nations and groups, did not suddenly develop a moral consciousness for the plight of Muslims. Rather, his…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/civil-rights-groups-and-pro-war-republicans-an-unholy-alliance-in-the-soft-war-against-china/

Noam Chomsky: We Must Confront the "Ultranationalist, Reactionary" Movements Growing Across Globe
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-04-12
On Thursday night, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. He looked back at the rise of fascism in the 20th century and the growing ultranationalist movements of today, from Brazil and the United States to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
www.democracynow.org/2019/4/12/noam_chomsky_we_must_confront_the

Chomsky: Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change & the Undermining of Democracy Threaten Future of Planet
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-04-12
As President Trump pulls out of key nuclear agreements with Russia and moves to expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Noam Chomsky looks at how the threat of nuclear war remains one of the most pressing issues facing mankind. In a speech at the Old South Church in Boston, Chomsky also discusses the threat of climate change and the undermining of democracy across the globe.
www.democracynow.org/2019/4/12/chomsky_nuclear_weapons_climate_change_the

The Unfinished Gaza War: What Netanyahu Hopes to Gain from Attacking Palestinian Prisoners
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
The current violence targeting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails dates back to January 2. It was then that Israel's Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan declared that the "party is over." "Every so often, infuriating pictures appear of cooking in the terrorist wings. This party is coming to an end," Erdan was quoted in the Jerusalem…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/the-unfinished-gaza-war-what-netanyahu-hopes-to-gain-from-attacking-palestinian-prisoners/

On False Dichotomies, Real and Fake, at MSDNC
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
Photograph Source Spud of Inside Cable news — CC BY 2.0 | Not a False Dichotomy: (Eco-)Socialism or Exterminist Capitalism | Antonio Gramsci would be impressed by the "liberal" Democratic Party broadcast network MSNBC, whose function is to advance the political hegemony of finance capital between drug, car, business consulting, insurance, and financial services commercials for affluent Baby Boomers. | Last Wednesday the discussion became spirited on an "expert panel" convened by MSDNC morning host Stephanie Ruhle, a former leading global derivatives trader. The topic that animated Ruhle and her guests was Am…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/on-false-dichotomies-real-and-fake-at-msdnc/

Russia Warns Bolton: 'Monroe Doctrine' Remarks Insulting to Latin America
Andre Vltchek | mintpressnews.com | 2019-04-12
The Trump administration is re-deploying old and fatal Cold War warriors, elevating them to high positions. The same people who were murdering, plotting and cheering assassins. The list reads like a "Wanted for Genocide" catalog: Elliott Abrams, Michael Pompeo and yes: John Bolton.
mintpressnews.com/russia-warns-bolton-monroe-doctrine-remarks-insult-latin-america/257331/

Nuclear Weapons Ruined My Life…and I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
Frida Berrigan | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
I want to offer you something different than the barrage of facts and figures around nuclear weapons. But let's establish the basics. There are nine countries that possess them: France, China, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and — of course — Russia and the United States. Together these nine countries possess a total…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/nuclear-weapons-ruined-my-life-and-i-wouldnt-have-it-any-other-way/

Video: Turkey Aims to Seize Tell Rifaat after Russian Forces Withdrawal
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
On April 11, the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate prevented a terrorist attack in the city of Homs. Local sources said that intelligence agents dismantled a remotely-controlled heavy improvised-explosive device, which was attached to a civilian vehicle near the Akramah al-Makhzomeh …
globalresearch.ca/turkey-aims-seize-tell-rifaat-russian-forces-withdrawal/5674269

Survivors of War Crimes in Afghanistan Denied Justice
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-04-12
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/04/12/survivors-war-crimes-afghanistan-denied-justice?cd-origin=rss

Afghanistan: ICC Refuses to Authorize Investigation, Caving Into USA Threats
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-04-12
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/04/12/afghanistan-icc-refuses-authorize-investigation-caving-usa-threats?cd-origin=rss

ICC Refuses to Investigate Crimes in Afghanistan, Including U.S. Torture
commondreams | commondreams.org | 2019-04-12
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/04/12/icc-refuses-investigate-crimes-afghanistan-including-us-torture?cd-origin=rss

UK Government Defends Arming Saudi Arabia: Secret Court Hearing. Are British Forces in Yemen?
Phil Miller | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
The government refuses to confirm or deny the presence of British special forces in Yemen. | Its missions are exempt from freedom of information and even Parliament's defence committee. | This wall of secrecy cracked slightly after five SBS members were injured …
globalresearch.ca/government-defends-arming-saudi-arabia-secret-court-hearing/5674279

Washington's Selective Sanctions
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
On April 3 US Vice President Pence told Germany and Turkey to stop cooperating with Russia. In a speech in Washington marking the 70thAnniversary of the US-NATO military alliance he declared…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/washingtons-selective-sanctions/

Will RussiaGate Junta-Mastermind, John Brennan, Ever Face the Music?
Mike Whitney | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
The Great RussiaGate Deception all began with John Brennan. It was Brennan who reported "contacts… between Russian officials and persons in the Trump campaign", just as it was Brennan who first referred the case to former FBI Director James Comey. …
globalresearch.ca/will-russiagate-junta-mastermind-john-brennan-ever-face-the-music/5674261

Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics
Jim Kavanagh | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
So the Mueller investigation is over. The official "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election" has been written, and is in the hands of Attorney General William Barr, who has issued a summary of its findings. On the core mandate of the investigation, given to Special Counsel Mueller by Rod Rosenstein as Acting Attorney General in May of 2017–to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump"–the takeaway conclusion stated in the Mueller report, as quoted in th…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/investigation-nation-mueller-russiagate-and-fake-politics/

"Putinyahu's Rusrael": The Putin-Netanyahu Relationship, A Deep Personal Bond?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
President Putin and "Israeli" Prime Minister Netanyahu are brothers-in-arms after the former helped the latter win his historic reelection with a last-minute photo-op stunt that ultimately proved pivotal to his victory, and with Russia and "Israel" now proceeding along the …
globalresearch.ca/putinyahus-rusrael-the-putin-netanyahu-relationship-a-deep-personal-bond/5674200

Major Confession: Kosovo's PM — 'I Only Carry Out U.S Orders, I'm an American Soldier'
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
In a major confession revealed on Friday April 5th, Kosovo's Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said his government's policies serve US interests against Serbia and Russia, and he is only following Washington's orders. | "The Albanian people in all our lands are | …
globalresearch.ca/kosovos-pm-i-only-carry-u-s-orders-american-soldier/5674285

Venezuela Walks from OAS as Body Violates Charter in Support of US-Backed Coup
Alexander Rubinstein | globalresearch.ca | 2019-04-12
"You have converted the OAS into an empty shell that has violated its own principles and you're now proving that our decision to resign was the correct one. We are leaving the OAS and we will never come back. — …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-oas-body-violates-charter-support-us-backed-coup/5674210

CounterPunch on Stage: The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda
Ishmael Reed | counterpunch.org | 2019-04-12
My real purpose for traveling to the East in January was to attend the showing of a two hour and forty-five-minute film that Steve Cannon, Walter Cotton and I produced in 1980, "81," that was scheduled to be shown Washington's National Gallery. Since Kino Lorber restored the film, it has been shown at museums and…
counterpunch.org/2019/04/12/counterpunch-on-stage-the-haunting-of-lin-manuel-miranda/