(2019-05-24). Peace With Iran Is a Good Thing. commondreams.org There is no question that neither Bolton nor Pompeo are to be trusted and that Bolton's over reach of authority is the key driver pushing for confrontation and divisiveness while Pompeo is a more personally shrewd team player and somewhat less of a loose cannon. (Photo: State Department via Wikimedia Commons) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pompeo_2.jpeg…
(2019-05-24). Trump directs AG Barr to declassify data on what prompted Russiagate probe. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has allowed his attorney general to declassify information about what prompted the Russiagate investigation — and ordered the heads of the intelligence agencies to cooperate with the reveal.
(2019-05-24). How Many Times Must Assange Be Proven Right? consortiumnews.com The espionage charges against Assange bear out what he's been saying and should open ears to what he's also said about the non-Russian source of the DNC emails, says Caitlin Johnstone. By Caitlin Johnstone CaitlinJohnstone.com And there it is…. Read more →
(2019-05-24). Canada's Meddling in Venezuela. counterpunch.org Why does the dominant media pay so much attention to Russian "meddling" in other countries, but little to Canada's longstanding interference in the political affairs of nations thousands of kilometres from our borders? The case of Ben Rowswell illustrates the double standard well. The current Canadian International Council President has been the leading non-governmental advocate More
(2019-05-24). Life or Death — Corporate Media or Honest Media? globalresearch.ca Relying on the corporate media, including BBC News, to provide a reliable account of the world is literally a matter of life or death, on many levels. | Imagine, for example, a Russian dissident living in the UK who had published …
(2019-05-24). India's Strategic Alliance with U.S.: Towards an Anti-Russian Military Pivot. globalresearch.ca India's much-touted and over-hyped policy of "multi-alignment" is seeming more and more like a cover for unconvincingly disguising the country's strategic alliance the US, especially after its Ambassador to America strongly hinted that Modi will undertake an anti-Russian military pivot …
(2019-05-24). The Geography of War: No Iraq…? No Iran! globalresearch.ca As Iraq/ Iran economic ties continue to strengthen, with Iraq recently signing on for billions of cubic meters of Iranian natural gas, the shift towards Russian influence was certified as Iraq sent a delegation to Moscow to negotiate the purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft system.
(2019-05-24). Hillary's call for Chinese meddling in 2020 is no joking matter. nationofchange.org This article was produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. | In a recent appearance on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, Hillary Clinton suggested China should try to access Donald Trump's tax returns and leak them to the press. | "Why should Russia have all the fun? And since Russia is clearly backing Republicans, why don't we ask China to back us [Democrats]?" She continued, "China, if you're listening, why don't you get Trump's tax returns? I'm sure our media would richly rew…
(2019-05-24). The Dangerous Demise of Disarmament. counterpunch.org 
Donald Trump and his national security team have weakened virtually every aspect of American foreign policy over the past two years. U.S. bilateral relations with both Russia and China have worsened, driving Moscow and Beijing into their closest relationship in more than fifty years. U.S. standing in Europe, particularly with our central NATO allies, has been compromised as President Trump has embarrassed key allies in London, Paris, and Berlin. The recent bungling of political upheaval in Venezuela has made the United States a laughing stock throughout South America. Trump's obsequious behavior toward Israeli Pr…
(2019-05-24). Turkey's purchase of the S-400 is a 'decided matter' — Secretary of Defense Hulusi Akar. uwidata.com 
During an Iftar session in Ankara, the Turkish Minister of Defense, Hulusi Akar, met with leading media representatives. The minister made a number of important statements on issues such as the threats Turkey faces in the region, the fight against terrorism, the country's need for its own air defense system and the purchase of Russian …
(2019-05-24). Russiagate and the Dry Rot in American Journalism. counterpunch.org 
Hunter S. Thompson dissected the mainstream news long before the false narratives of Iraqi WMD's and Russian collusion. The 2016 U.S. presidential elections showed how easily a real estate hustler can hijack the public's attention with the help of all major news corporations. Not only did Donald Trump receive two billion dollars of free media over the More
(2019-05-24). Canada's Five Year Campaign to Oust Venezuela's Government. dissidentvoice.org Why does the dominant media pay so much attention to Russian "meddling" in other countries, but little to Canada's longstanding interference in the political affairs of nations thousands of kilometres from our borders? The case of Ben Rowswell illustrates the double standard well. The current Canadian International Council President has been the leading non-governmental advocate …
(2019-05-24). High Fives to Jimmy Dore for Laughing Russiagaters out of the Room. dissidentvoice.org Jimmy Dore is a comic who has taken on Russiagate, a deadly serious matter. He is one of those brave souls who count themselves as progressives but dared to call into question Russiagate. There are those who will tell you that Trump is a despicable human; and so if Russiagate tarnished Trump, the argument goes, …
(2019-05-24). Venezuela: The opposition collapses, revolution advances. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On May 20, a massive rally filled downtown Caracas as Venezuela's revolutionary movement marked one year since Nicolás Maduro was elected to a second term as president. The celebration comes just three weeks after Juan Guaidó, the Trump-appointed leader of the Venezuelan far right, launched a failed military coup against Maduro. | Since that foolish day, events in Venezuela have accelerated. The opposition lies defeated, and the revolutionary movement advances, millions strong, to with the aim of socialism. | The collapse of the counter-revolution | On April 30, Juan Guaidó declared the "final stage…
(2019-05-24). UN honours peacekeepers who 'paid the ultimate price', for the sake of others. un.org Ever since the UN deployed the first of its 72 peacekeeping missions back in 1948, more than 3,800 peacekeepers have lost their lives, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, at a wreath laying ceremony in honour of those "brave men and women" who serve.
(2019-05-24). Reuniting for Peace and Justice – 50 Years of Resistance. indybay.org Unitarian Universalist Church at 2672 E Alluvial Ave in Fresno.
(2019-05-24). MintCast Episode 3: Iran, Chelsea Manning, ElectionGuard and the Embassy Protection Collective. mintpressnews.com MinCast hosts Alan MacLeod and Whitney Webb discuss the week's top stories, including U.S. attempt to escalate the situation in Iran, the unjust re-imprisonment of Chelsea Manning, Microsoft's new ElectionGuard product and get a first-hand account of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective from Alex Rubenstein.
(2019-05-24). The Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial: What Illinois Bikers Know That Washington Doesn't. mintpressnews.com 
Andrew Bacevich on the sole memorial for those who have fought in our now almost 18-year-old war on terror — never actually a coherent "war" but a spreading set of conflicts, upheavals, and chaos of every sort.
(2019-05-24). Microsoft's ElectionGuard a Trojan Horse for a Military-Industrial Takeover of US Elections. mintpressnews.com 
"The fact that we are handing over the keys of American democracy to the military-industrial complex — it's like giving the keys to the henhouse to a fox and saying, 'here come in and take whatever you want.' It's obviously dangerous." — Investigative journalist Yasha Levine…
(2019-05-24). Austria's "Ibiza Affair" and the rightward shift of the political establishment. wsws.org The very same political forces who are now crying foul over far-right Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache bear chief responsibility for the projected entry of a record number of right-wing extremists into the European Parliament.
(2019-05-24). As the far right grows, its mask comes off. greenleft.org.au 
The brutal face of hard right and fascist reaction has been on vivid display on the issues of women's rights and the climate crisis in the past few weeks. | In Germany the AfD (Alliance for Germany) launched a vicious attack on inspirational teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, portraying her as an extremist and suggesting she needs treatment for her "psychosis" — a shabby reference to her autism. | Rejecting near-unanimous scientific opinion, the AfD said that the climate justice movement is scare mongering about levels of carbon dioxide emissions, asserting that the gas is a beneficial plant nutrient.
(2019-05-24). Far-Right Israeli Organization Publishes List of 'Disloyal' Professors. therealnews.com 
Hilla Dayan discusses the right-wing Zionist group Im Tirtzu, and the scare campaign against leftist and progressive professors going on in Israel…
(2019-05-24). US-Made Saudi Warplanes and Bombs Are Still Killing Many Civilians in Yemen. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — Over the course of a five year war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has killed the vast majority of civilians. The killings were overwhelmingly from airstrikes, which brings uncomfortable attention to the US. The Saudi airstrikes, after all, are done almost exclusively in US-made warplanes, and dropping largely US-made munitions. The US has also, for much of …
(2019-05-24). Leaked OPCW report raises new questions about 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Syria. nationofchange.org A newly leaked internal document from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reveals there were conflicting views within the organization as to what happened.
(2019-05-24). 'Without Putin, Syria Would Have Ceased to Exist': Interview with Flemish Priest Living in Syria. globalresearch.ca The text of this interview was published by Global Research on June 15, 2017 | According to the Flemish Father Daniel Maes, who has lived in Syria since 2010, the coverage of the Syrian war is based on lies. President …
(2019-05-24). Turkish Weapons to Libya's Government of National Unity (PNU): Key Obstruction for Haftar's Offensive on Tripoli. globalresearch.ca While the offensive of the Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Field Marshal Halifa Haftar in Tripoli against the armed groups controlled by the Government of National Unity (PNU) is well underway, more and more international and regional …
(2019-05-24). Why does Washington hate Iran? greenleft.org.au 
In recent weeks the United States has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln, B-52 bombers, a Patriot missile interceptor battery and more naval firepower into the Persian Gulf in an escalation of military threats against Iran. | Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced in May that the Pentagon had plans to send 120,000 troops in the event that Iran attacked American forces in the Middle East, or if Iran resumed work that could lead to nuclear weapons. | In April, US President Donald Trump's administration designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, part of Iran's armed forces, as a "terrorist group". | The US…
(2019-05-24). Iran Runs Out of Patience due to Europe's Inaction over Nuclear Deal. plenglish.com Tehran, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the Islamic Republic has run out of patience due to Europe"s inaction over the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear agreement and the resumption of sanctions on Iran.
(2019-05-24). All Dams in Brazil Are Unsafe, Minister Warns. plenglish.com Brasilia, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The almost 2,000 dams registered in Brazil can be considered currently unsafe, said the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, during his statement in the Senate Environment Committee.
(2019-05-24). Headlines for May 24, 2019. democracynow.org Julian Assange Indicted Under Espionage Act in "Terrifying Threat" to 1st Amendment, British Prime Minister Theresa May to Resign June 7, Trump Preparing to Circumvent Congress on Saudi, UAE Weapons Sales, Trump Grants Attorney General Sweeping Powers to Investigate Mueller Probe Origins, Trump Calls Nancy Pelosi "Crazy" After She Calls Out Trump's "Temper Tantrum", Doctored Video Showing "Drunk" Nancy Pelosi Retweeted by Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Trump Calls Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "Dumb as a Rock", Banker Accused of Bribing Paul Manafort to Win Trump Administration Post, Trump Pledges $16 Bill…
(2019-05-24). Gulf of Tonkin 'Crisis', Iranian Style. counterpunch.org 
The United States government is always beating the war drums; it's what violent, rogue nations do. Currently, a non-issue in the Middle East is being seized upon as a threat to the mighty U.S. The headlines were sensational: 'Saudi Arabia says Oil Tankers Attacked as Iranian Tensions Rise'. — Bloomberg 'President Trump Warns Iran over More
(2019-05-24). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Dockworkers in Italy and France have refused to handle cargo they say was intended to aid Saudi Arabian war efforts in Yemen while strikes and protests by miners and teachers continue in South Africa.
(2019-05-24). Trump's Use of Emergency Loophole to Export US Bombs to Saudis, Critics Warn, Will Only Intensify World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen. commondreams.org Federal lawmakers and anti-war voices are raising alarm about and vowing to challenge the Trump administration's exploitation of a legal loophole to try to enable the export of billions of dollars in American-made weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/yemen_2.jpeg…
(2019-05-24). Assange, Espionage, and the Cult of Personality. commondreams.org Wikileaks founder Julian Assange holds a press conference at Park Plaza Hotel on October 23, 2010 in London, England. The series released at the time included leaks of American military documents, nearly 400,000 in total, included details about how the torture and the abuse of detainees by Iraqi police, was ignored by U.S. forces. On Thursday it was reported that the U.S. government has filed charges under the Espionage Act for Assange's work as a journalist. (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/julian_…
(2019-05-24). US Aggession Against Iraq-The San Diego Connection. indybay.org The role of the San Diego military in the US Aggression against Iran…
(2019-05-24). Paul Bremer's Legacy in Iraq Is Being Expanded Across the Arab World. globalresearch.ca Today marks 16 years since Paul Bremer, the former American diplomat, made history three times in the space of one month. First he was appointed head of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the administration that ran Iraq after it …
(2019-05-24). Dump Bolton before He Starts the Next War. counterpunch.org Donald Trump very likely won the 2016 election with pronouncements like these: "Obviously the war in Iraq was a big fat mistake." "We should have never been in Iraq." "We have destabilized the middle east." "We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about." Today, it is unclear exactly who is More
(2019-05-24). "I Apologize to No One" for Opposing Disastrous US Wars in Vietnam and Iraq, Says Bernie Sanders. commondreams.org "This is great: Bernie tell tells the pro-war crowd and their enablers to bring it on." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders_anti_war_no_apologies.jpg…
(2019-05-24). Exclusive: Julian Assange's Attorney Decries Espionage Charges as "Grave Threat to Press Freedom" democracynow.org 
In an unprecedented move, the Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on 17 charges of violating the Espionage Act for his role in publishing U.S. classified military and diplomatic documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The documents were leaked by U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The Espionage Act of 1917 has never been used to prosecute a journalist or media outlet. The new charges come just over a month after British police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he took asylum in 2012. Initially the Trump administration indic…
(2019-05-24). War Crimes Pardons: A Terrible Memorial Day Idea. counterpunch.org On May 16, 2008, near the town of Baiji in Iraq, 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna, US Army, murdered a prisoner. That was the verdict of the jury in his 2009 court martial, anyway. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but paroled in less than five. On May 6, 2019, US president Donald Trump More
(2019-05-24). Julian Assange's Attorney Decries Espionage Charges as Threat to Press Freedom. truthout.org In an unprecedented move, the Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on 17 charges of violating the Espionage Act for his role in publishing U.S. classified military and diplomatic documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The documents were leaked by U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The Espionage Act of 1917 has never been used to prosecute a journalist or media outlet. The new charges come just over a month after British police forcibly removed Assange from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he took asylum in 2012. Initially the Trump administration in…
(2019-05-24). "Sooner or Later, Dictators Fall," Says Eyewitness to Sudan's Uprising. truthout.org The revolutionary process in the Middle East and North Africa continues to unfold as uprisings in Sudan and Algeria have defied the counterrevolutionary wave that swept across the region following the 2011 Arab Spring. | In Algeria, a sustained protest movement toppled authoritarian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika on April 2 of this year. About a week later, ongoing popular resistance in Sudan forced out ruler Omar al-Bashir. In both countries, the military remains in power, though the heads of the regimes are gone. | The uprising in Sudan has benefited from a high level of organization and impressive leadership f…
(2019-05-24). Senator Schumer's Divine Mission. counterpunch.org Back on 31 March 2019 I wrote an essay entitled "God and U.S. Foreign Policy." The central figure in that essay was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo is a Christian fundamentalist who believes that God is at work when it comes to both sustaining Israeli society as well as the U.S. foreign policies that underpin it. More
(2019-05-24). The Espionage Act and Julian Assange. counterpunch.org It seemed flimsy from the start, but the US Department of Justice is keen to get their man. What has certainly transpired of late is that Mike Pompeo was being unusually faithful to the truth when director of the CIA: every means would be found to prosecute the case against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. His More
(2019-05-24). The Espionage Act and Julian Assange: The US Justice Department Expands Its Case. dissidentvoice.org It seemed flimsy from the start, but the US Department of Justice is keen to get their man. What has certainly transpired of late is that Mike Pompeo was being unusually faithful to the truth when director of the CIA: every means would be found to prosecute the case against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. His …
(2019-05-24). The Espionage Act and Julian Assange: The US Justice Department Expands Its Case. globalresearch.ca It seemed flimsy from the start, but the US Department of Justice is keen to get their man. What has certainly transpired of late is that Mike Pompeo was being unusually faithful to the truth when director of the CIA: …
(2019-05-24). Dean Baker on Trump's Trade War, Leo Fitzpatrick on Wireless Merger. fair.org 
Media…
(2019-05-24). Jeremy Scahill: New Indictment of Assange Is Part of a Broader War on Journalism & Whistleblowers. democracynow.org 
The Espionage Act charges filed against Julian Assange mark just the latest attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize journalism and whistleblowers. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning is back in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury. Two weeks ago, drone whistleblower Daniel Hale was arrested in Tennessee. We air a new video by The Intercept titled "Why You Should Care About Trump's War on Whistleblowers," featuring Jeremy Scahill. We also speak to Scahill and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about how the corporate media has failed to stand up for Assange and others.
(2019-05-24). Democracy vs. The Putin-Nazis. dissidentvoice.org Back in January 2018, I wrote this piece about The War on Dissent, which, in case you haven't noticed, is going gangbusters. As predicted, the global capitalist ruling classes have been using every weapon in their arsenal to marginalize, stigmatize, delegitimize, and otherwise eliminate any and all forms of dissent from neoliberal ideology, and in …
(2019-05-24). A New Way Forward: 2019 California Juneteenth Celebration. indybay.org Today, let us consider an authentic California Juneteenth narrative for the next 170 years that no longer values a manifest destiny "white man only" enslavement and genocide conversation mandated by the original 1849 California State Constitution.