2020-01-31: News Headlines

Miko Peled (2020-01-31). Dead on Arrival: Dissecting Trump's Vision for the Future of Palestine. mintpressnews.com What used to be an idea expressed by only the most extreme right-wing Zionists, namely ridding Israel of its Palestinian citizens, is now part of a "peace" plan and has been given the rubber stamp of the United States government, writes Miko Peled.

Eds. (2020-01-31). Palestinians around the world reject Trump's 'fraud of the century'. mronline.org Palestinians have responded to US President Donald Trump's peace plan with a resounding "no," expressing their frustrations with what they have dubbed as the "fraud of the century." From social media to the streets, Palestinians in the occupied territory and in the diaspora have rejected Trump's vision for the region, criticizing the plan for granting […] |

RT (2020-01-31). Tehran says US sanctions on chief of nuclear energy organization was 'unwise move'. rt.com Iran's nuclear energy organization has described recent sanctions on the head of the agency by the US an "unwise move." Washington announced new sanctions on Thursday against the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its director, Ali Akbar Salehi. The sanctions freeze any assets that Salehi has within US jurisdiction. | The organization tweeted on Friday that "the unwise move" by President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Salehi and AEOI "will not in any way interrupt [Iran's] peaceful nuclear activities and policies." | "Such cruel sanctions will further enhance the nuclear scientist's motives in…

CounterSpin (2020-01-31). Omar Baddar on Israel/Palestine 'Peace' Plan, Rainey Reitman on Greenwald Persecution. fair.org MP3 Link This week on CounterSpin: It is strange to think that you could create a plan to shape the relationship between two entities, in consultation with one but not the other, and then not just declare it, yourself, a "win-win," but also say to the unconsulted party, "You better take it, or else." Yet …

RT (2020-01-31). Erdogan blasts Arab states for backing Trump's Middle East plan. rt.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted a number of Arab nations on Friday for backing a Middle East peace plan unveiled by the US, condemning it as "treason." | "Some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity," Erdogan told his party's provincial heads in Ankara. | Erdogan, a strong advocate of Palestinian rights, singled out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan, AFP reports. "Saudi Arabia in particular, you are silent. When will you break your silence? You look at Amman,…

Tom Anderson (2020-01-31). Trump's 'peace plan' gives the go-ahead to Israel's biggest land grab in decades. thecanary.co Donald Trump's ' The Jordan Valley, which

Richard Eskow (2020-01-31). "Balfouristans" for Bibi: "Apartheid" Isn't an Insult, It's a Blueprint. counterpunch.org The image on the left is from a map Donald Trump tweeted out with the label, "Vision For Peace: Conceptual Map/The Future of Palestine." The one on the right shows the "Bantustans" created by apartheid-era South Africa in 1970, a move designed to pen the country's black citizens into impoverished "homelands." Any questions? These maps

Stephen Lendman (2020-01-31). Trump's Annexation Scheme: A Stake in the Heart of the Moribund Two-State Solution and Peace. globalresearch.ca Since no-peace/peace plans first surfaced in the 1970s, the US and Israel supported Palestinian self-determination in name only. | Both countries opposed the idea since Israel seized Palestinian territory not stolen in 1948. | A two-state solution was theoretically possible years earlier, …

RT (2020-01-31). Afghanistan will need 'billions in foreign aid,' US agency warns. rt.com A US agency warned on Friday that Afghanistan will need vast amounts of foreign funding to keep its government afloat through 2024. International money pays for roughly 75 percent of all of Afghanistan's costs, while government revenue covers barely a quarter of Afghan public expenditures. | The warning comes as foreign donors become increasingly angry over the cost of corruption and the US seeks a peace deal with the Taliban to withdraw its troops from the country. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which issues reports quarterly to US Congress, monitors all US spending relating…

RT (2020-01-31). Top cleric Sistani condemns use of force to disperse Iraq protest camps, calls for elections. rt.com Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has condemned the use of force to disperse protest camps across the country. | He also renewed calls for early elections to be held in a free and fair manner. | Sistani, who delivered his message through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala, also "heavily condemned" US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, Reuters reported. | Earlier this month, Sistani condemned the US-Iranian military confrontation taking place on Iraqi soil, saying it risked plunging the war-ravaged country and the wider Middle East into deepe…

J.B. Gerald (2020-01-31). To Keep the Rohingya Alive. dissidentvoice.org The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish. — Article 1. The Genocide Convention On November 11, 2019 The Gambia filed at the International Court of Justice an Application of proceedings against Myanmar, …

WSWS (2020-01-31). War tensions mount between NATO powers over Libya, Mediterranean. wsws.org The Berlin conference has set the stage not for peace, but only for stepped-up imperialist interventions to divide up the profits to be extracted from Libya and the entire region.

Party for Socialism and Liberation, Sonoma (2020-01-31). Why is the U.S. Always at War? Is Peace Possible? indybay.org A'Roma Roasters Coffee and Tea | 95 5th St, Santa Rosa, California 95401…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-01-31). Roaming Charges: The Steal of the Century. counterpunch.org An impeached president meeting in the White House with a Prime Minister indicted for corruption and bribery to pitch a giant land swindle in the Middle East, which they market to a gullible press as a "peace plan." Is there a more precise image for the current state of our political condition?

Mark Gruenberg (2020-01-30). Trump's 'peace plan' for Israel and the Palestinians is neither. peoplesworld.org GOP President Donald Trump's "peace plan" for Israel and the Palestinians, unveiled with support from the leaders of both big Jewish Israeli political parties, is "imperialistic" and would lead to resumed and continued military occupation of the entire West Bank for the foreseeable future, the Israeli Communist Party says. And since Trump unveiled his plan …

Steve Sweeney (2020-01-30). General strike in Gaza, protests rage against Trump's 'deal of the century'. peoplesworld.org Palestinians waged a general strike in the besieged Gaza Strip Jan. 29 as protests continued to rage against the "dismal" Middle East peace plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. His so-called "deal of the century" has been met by global condemnation with international governments and progressives branding it as "shameful" and unworkable. …

Lucas Koerner (2020-01-30). How Western left media helped legitimate U.S. regime change in Venezuela. mronline.org It's been a year since Juan Guaidó began his U.S.-anointed mandate as "interim president" of Venezuela. |

Anya Parampil (2020-01-30). US government censorship? Social media giants disappear accounts of Iranian and Venezuelan academics, journalists. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil talks with Professor Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran. Professor Marandi's Facebook and Instagram…

Afro News (2020-01-30). What You Need to Know About Trump's Annexation Plan. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump finally unveiled his 'Middle East Peace Plan' on Tuesday, 28 January 2020, during a media conference in Washington, as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stood by his side. | The entire document, called 'Peace to …

Michael Jansen (2020-01-30). Trump's Skewed Vision Gives Israel Everything It Wants. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century", his "vision" of an Arab-Israeli peace settlement, is, as expected, a boon for Israel and a trap for the Palestinians. Everyone knew this would be the case. His deal could never have been …

teleSUR (2020-01-30). Palestinian Leaders Taking Steps to Topple Trump's 'Peace Plan'. telesurenglish.net The Palestinian Authority has prepared a series of plans to topple the announced U.S. Middle East peace plan, also known as the Deal of the Century, a senior Palestinian official said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told reporters in Ramallah that one of the first steps "is to hold a meeting for the Arab League's foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday." | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wi…

Jonathan Cook (2020-01-30). Trump's "Deal of the Century" Will Not Bring Peace: That was the Plan for the US and Israel. dissidentvoice.org Much of Donald Trump's long-trailed "deal of the century" came as no surprise. Over the past 18 months, Israeli officials had leaked many of its details. The so-called Vision for Peace unveiled on Tuesday simply confirmed that the US government has publicly adopted the long-running consensus in Israel: that it is entitled to keep permanently …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-01-30). Israeli Rights Group: Trump "Peace Plan" not Peace but Apartheid. imemc.org The Israeli human rights organisation, "B'Tselem," said, in statement, that US President Donald Trump's plan drains the principles of international law of any meaning and completely neuters the concept of accountability for breaching them. B'Tselem added that the American administration's plan, branded as the "Deal of the Century," is more …

Saree Makdisi (2020-01-30). What's New About Trump's Mideast 'Peace' Plan? Only the Blunt Crudity of Its Racism. thenation.com What's New About Trump's Mideast 'Peace' Plan? Only the Blunt Crudity of Its Racism.

teleSUR (2020-01-30). AMLO: Killing of Mexican Butterfly Conservationist 'Regrettable'. telesurenglish.net Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador today described the RELATED: | "It's part of what leads us to apply ourselves more every day to guarantee peace and tranquility…

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-01-30). Lutheran World Federation: Peace Cannot Be Unilaterally Imposed. imemc.org The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has expressed grave concern over the "Peace to Prosperity" plan for Israel and Palestine presented by the U.S. administration, this week.

PCHR (2020-01-30). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23 — 29 January 2020). imemc.org This week, PCHR documented 262 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. This was reflected in dealing with the peaceful protests organized against Trump's declaration of the "Deal of Century" that violates the rights …

Jonathan Cook (2020-01-30). Trump's 'Deal of the Century' Won't Bring Peace — That Was the Plan. globalresearch.ca Much of Donald Trump's long-trailed "deal of the century" came as no surprise. Over the past 18 months, Israeli officials had leaked many of its details. | The so-called "Vision for Peace" unveiled on Tuesday simply confirmed that the US …

BIICFHRIOT (2020-01-30). B'Tselem — President Trump's "Peace" Plan: Not Peace, Apartheid. imemc.org By B'Tselem The American administration's plan branded as the "Deal of the Century" is more like Swiss cheese, with the cheese being offered to the Israelis and the holes to the Palestinians. There are many ways to end the occupation, but the only legitimate options are those based on equality …

teleSUR (2020-01-30). Syrian Forces Advance Inside Idlib and Aleppo Provinces. telesurenglish.net The Syrian military began a wide-scale operation inside the Idlib and Aleppo provinces this week amid collapsed peace talks between the government and opposition. | READ ALSO: | The Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, have seized a large portion of the Idlib province after capturing the large city of Maarat Al-Numan and several towns and villages nearby. | In addition to Maarat Al-Numan, the Syrian military is also closing in on the ne…

teleSUR (2020-01-30). Labor Party of Mexico Expresses Support for teleSUR. telesurenglish.net The Labor Party of Mexico issued a statement in which it expressed its rejection of the attacks by Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó against the international media outlet teleSUR. | RELATED: | The Mexican political party stated that Guaidó "only seeks to promote and put at the service of U.S. imperialism a media outlet that has stood out for giving voice to those who never had it." | The statement points out th…

teleSUR (2020-01-30). Venezuelan Rum Maker Optimistic About Economic Recovery. telesurenglish.net Rum distiller Ron Santa Teresa has launched Venezuela's first public share offering in 11 years, saying that the nation may see an economic transition similar to China. | RELATED: | One of Venezuela's best-known brands, Santa Teresa, which exports via an alliance with Bermuda-based Bacardi Ltd., sold an initial 1 million shares on Friday. | It was the firm's first in a series of offers of bolivar-denominated shares hoped to…

teleSUR (2020-01-30). Maduro on Merlano Case: Duque Does Not Want the Truth Out There. telesurenglish.net The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, said Thursday that his Colombian counterpart, Iván Duque, has not followed the due process for the extradition of former congresswoman Aída Merlano. Merlano, who arrested last Monday in the city of Maracaibo, Zulia state, after running away from her country, seems not interested in knowing the truth, according to the head of state. | RELATED: | During a nationwide broadcast,…

news.un (2020-01-30). Find unity 'to halt Libya's senseless unraveling', UN envoy urges Security Council. news.un.org The top UN official in Libya on Thursday expressed his "deep anger and disappointment" over intensifying conflict in Libya despite a high-level summit held in the German capital of Berlin earlier this month, that set out measures to de-escalate fighting and put the divided country back on a path towards peace.

teleSUR (2020-01-30). The Situation in Libya Worsens, UN Warns. telesurenglish.net The UN Secretary General's special envoy for Libya, Speaking at a Council session by video conference, the UN high representative warned that there are unscrupulous actors inside and outside Libya who are cynically winking at efforts to promote peace. | According to the head of the U.N. mission in that country, the situation is becoming unsustainable, the Libyan people are impoverished, there is a security…

Susan Price (2020-01-30). Trump's 'win-win' plan hands everything to Israel. greenleft.org.au

Max Blumenthal (2020-01-29). Ciudadano estadounidense detenido e interrogado por agentes del DHS sobre la solidaridad con Venezuela del movimiento antiguerra. thegrayzone.com Un ciudadano estadounidense que participó en el Colectivo de Protección de la Embajada de Venezuela fue detenido, registrado e interrogado…

Aaron Maté (2020-01-29). Trump's fake 'peace plan' is permanent apartheid for Palestine. thegrayzone.com Attorney, professor, and author Noura Erakat on Trump's "deal of the century": a call for permanent apartheid in Palestine. President…

Staff (2020-01-29). Mehdi Hasan: Trump's Middle East Plan Is a Policy of Apartheid & Settler Colonialism. democracynow.org We continue our discussion of President Trump's long-awaited Middle East plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he has described as the "deal of the century." The plan was drafted by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner without any input from Palestinians and would give Israel sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, control over all of Jerusalem, and keep all illegal settlements built in the occupied West Bank. We speak with Mehdi Hasan, senior columnist at The Intercept, and Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University. Khalidi's latest book is…

The Canary (2020-01-29). Jeremy Corbyn slams Donald Trump's so-called 'peace plan' for Palestine. thecanary.co Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan would "lock-in illegal Israeli colonisation" and deny Palestinian people their fundamental rights. He added that Britain must tell the US they are "wrong" on the issue.Boris Johnson, meanwhile, provided encouragement to the proposal which would leave sizeable areas of the occupied West Bank in Israeli hands.Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed Trump's plan as a "conspiracy deal".Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Corbyn said of the US president's idea: It will annex Palestinian territory, lock-in illegal Israeli colonisation…

Staff (2020-01-29). "Yet Another Declaration of War on Palestinians": Rashid Khalidi on Trump's Middle East "Peace" Plan. democracynow.org Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to annex about 30% of the occupied West Bank, after Israel was given the green light to do so by the United States. On Tuesday, President Trump — with Netanyahu by his side — unveiled a so-called Middle East peace plan that was drafted by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner without any input from Palestinians. Under the plan, Israel will gain sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem would be under total Israeli control, and all Jewish settlers in the occupied territory will be allowed to remain in their homes. The plan…

Fight Back (2020-01-29). USPCN Rejects "Deal of the Century" fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). | Three war criminals – Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli politician Benny Gantz – have met in DC this week, and today unveiled the announcement of Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner's self-proclaimed "deal of the century." | As Palestinians and Arabs living and organizing in the U.S., we join the voices of our people in besieged Gaza and all across Palestine and the Arab World in fully rejecting this sham peace process created by the apartheid, settler-colonial…

RT (2020-01-28). US will 'proudly' open a new embassy in proposed 'Palestinian capital' in east Jerusalem — Trump. rt.com US President Donald Trump has said that Washington will open a new embassy in East Jerusalem, where a proposed new Palestinian capital will exist, under his freshly unveiled Middle East peace plan. | Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said that he will "proudly open an embassy" in the capital if the plan is accepted. | At the same time, however, Trump said that his plan envisions Jerusalem as an "undivided capital" of Israel. | "Under this vision, Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided capital," Trump said, scoring a lengthy applause from the…

Staff (2020-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Lawyers Says He Did No Wrong as Calls Mount for Bolton and Other Witnesses to Testify | , Trump to Unveil Middle East "Peace Plan" as Netanyahu Indicted over Corruption, SCOTUS Allows Trump's "Public Charge" Rule Targeting Low-Income Immigrants to Take Effect, State Dept. Bars NPR Reporter from Upcoming Pompeo Trip, Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweet About Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation, Mixed Accounts After U.S. Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan, Torrential Rains and Landslides Kill At Least 46 People in Brazil, Nigerian Journalist Maxwell Nashan Killed, 2nd Accuser Testifies in Weinstein Trial a…

Fight Back (2020-01-28). FRSO Venezuela delegation meets with women in Bolivarian Militia. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – During the World Anti-Imperialist Congress, members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) delegation talked with women in the Bolivarian Militia. The Bolivarian Militia was created in 2005 in response to U.S. intervention. As of December 2019, President Maduro said he is moving toward making the Militia into "combat units" within the Armed Forces. In 2019, with multiple U.S.-backed coup attempts to install Juan Guaidó in place of democratically elected President Maduro, the Bolivarian Militia nearly doubled to 3.3 million members in a country of around 30 million people. Their rol…

Fight Back (2020-01-27). South Florida protest demands: No war on Iran. fightbacknews.org Fort Lauderdale, FL — Hundreds of protests took place across the world on January 25, to demand no new U.S. war in Iran, an end to Trump's violence and sanctions against Iran, and the removal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. In Fort Lauderdale, 35 activists gathered outside of the federal courthouse to join the global day of protest. | The diverse and energized group rallied on the busy intersection of Broward Boulevard, blasting protest music from speakers, holding signs and banners, and chanting loudly. People driving by opened their windows to share peace-signs and fists of solidarity, truck and bus…

Ben Norton (2020-01-25). Mientras Trump reduce los cupones de alimentos, USAID financia un cambio de régimen de Venezuela con 500 millones de dólares en dinero de impuestos. thegrayzone.com La administración Trump ha gastado 654 millones de dólares en "ayuda" para tratar de derrocar al gobierno de Venezuela, incluidos…

Staff (2020-01-24). International Court of Justice Orders Burmese Authorities to Protect Rohingya Muslims from Genocide. democracynow.org In a major ruling, the U.N. International Court of Justice at The Hague has ordered Burma to "take all measures within its power" to protect Rohingya Muslims from genocide. The court issued the ruling Thursday, calling the 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Burma, also known as Myanmar, "extremely vulnerable" to military violence. The court ordered Burma to report regularly to the tribunal about its progress. The ruling is a sharp rebuke of Burma's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who last month asked the court to drop the genocide case against Burma. Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner who spent over a decade figh…

Staff (2020-01-24). Headlines for January 24, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Managers Continue Opening Arguments in Trump's Senate Trial, 33 Million on Lockdown in Chinese Cities as Coronavirus Outbreak Spreads, Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis March to Demand U.S. Troop Withdrawal, Trump Invites Israeli Leaders to White House for "Peace Plan" Unveiling, Mexican Soldiers Attack Central American Migrant Caravan, Arresting 800, U.S. to Send Ambassador to Bolivia After Coup That Ousted Evo Morales, Puerto Rican Protesters Demand Ouster of Gov. Wanda Vázquez, SC Official Switches Presidential Endorsement from Biden to Sanders, National Archives Replaces Doctored Women's March Photo…

Staff (2020-01-23). "The New Colossus": In New Play, Tim Robbins Tackles Immigration & Xenophobia. democracynow.org President Trump said Wednesday that he would expand his highly controversial travel ban, which already bars citizens from seven countries, most of which have Muslim-majority populations — Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela — from entering the United States. Politico reports that the expanded ban could implement immigration restrictions on seven more countries: Belarus, Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, according to two sources. We speak with acclaimed actor, director and activist Tim Robbins, whose recent work has focused on immigration to the United S…