2020-02-13: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-13). Top security partner… & second biggest threat to world? Germans are increasingly unsure about role of US. rt.com Most Germans see America, supposedly Berlin's biggest ally, as one of the biggest threats to world peace, right after Iran. Other nations painted as "bogeymen" by Western media are lagging far behind, a new poll shows. | More than 60 percent of Germans believe that Washington is "the greatest threat to international peace," the latest Security Report — an annual representative study published by the Allensbach Demoskopie Institute —

teleSUR (2020-02-13). Colombia: Two Social Leaders Killed, Death Toll Rises to 44. telesurenglish.net The Villa Fatima's Community Action Board prosecutor Luis Alberto Parra and his son Jader Alberto Parra were found dead in the municipality of Puerto Guzman, Putumayo, on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Two days earlier, a group of armed men violently entered his house and kidnapped them, as reported by Parra's wife who was tied at the scene. | Subsequently, the Departmental Peace Council reported on the disappearanc…

F. William Engdahl (2020-02-13). Is Oil Behind Washington's Venezuela Coup Madness? globalresearch.ca First published in February 2019 | On January 23 2019, US Vice President Pence sent a message via Twitter that Washington recognized the 35-year-old Speaker of the Venezuela National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the "legitimate" President of the troubled country, …

Nino Pagliccia (2020-02-13). Guaido is Ending His International Tour to Return to Venezuela to His Divided Opposition. counterpunch.org We have to admit that the US public relations apparatus played a good stint at leaving Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó's visit with president Trump last in what seemed an afterthought. When many thought that Trump had snubbed him in Davos and Miami, Washington gave him its full attention, normally reserved for real presidents, following

teleSUR (2020-02-13). Arreaza: 'US Coercive Measures Are Mass Destruction Weapons'. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's RELATED: | During his meeting with the Court, Arreaza exposed the crimes against humanity perpetrated…

teleSUR (2020-02-13). US Sanctions Against Venezuelan Airline Violates Int'l Law. telesurenglish.net U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's state-owned airline Conviasa violate international law, said Jorge Alvarez, president of the Chamber of Venezuelan Air Transport Companies, on Tuesday. | RELATED: | The only organization with the power to stop a carrier from flying from one country to another is the International Civil Aviation Organization, Alvarez told a local radio station. | "From a strategic viewpoint, Conviasa fl…

Global Research News (2020-02-13). Selected Articles: More Lies on Iran. 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 …

RT (2020-02-13). Irish MEP calls Venezuela's Juan Guaido a 'gobshite' in EU parliament, gets swiftly reprimanded (VIDEO). rt.com Irish MEP Mick Wallace has been reprimanded for referring to Venezuela's self-declared president Juan Guaido as an "unelected gobshite" during remarks at the European Parliament. | Wallace, an Independents 4 Change MEP, was speaking Wednesday about Venezuela's ongoing political crisis and the European Parliament's recent decision to recognize Guaido as the country's interim president, when he slipped the insult in. | Dressed in a neon green t-shirt, the clearly irate MEP said the decision was "an absolute embarrassment to anyone who has to occupy this chamber" and a "disgrace on the part of the member states o…

Anya Parampil (2020-02-12). Did Venezuelan coup leader Ricardo Hausmann stage fake IDB resignation to keep cushy Harvard job? thegrayzone.com Caught in a conflict of interest with his employer at Harvard, Ricardo Hausmann publicly resigned his job as Guaido's Inter-American…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-02-12). Venezuela: From Oil Proxy to the Bolivarian Movement and Sabotage. Abysmal Poverty under US Proxy Rule (1918-1998). globalresearch.ca More than 70 percent of the population did not meet minimum calorie and protein requirements. Child malnutrition and infant mortality was exceedingly high. 23 percent of the population was illiterate. One child in four was marginalized from the educational system.

news.un (2020-02-12). Foreign fighters: 'One of the most serious dimensions' in global counter-terrorism struggle. news.un.org Over the past few years, ISIL and Al-Qaida terrorist fighters have posed an "unprecedented threat to international peace and security", the UN counter-terrorism chief said on Wednesday in Vienna, at the close of a joint UN- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) regional conference on addressing challenges posed by terrorists who have gone to fight overseas.

Staff (2020-02-12). Trump "Peace Plan" Too Extreme Even for Former Right-Wing Israeli Prime Minister. truthout.org In an extraordinary joint press conference at the United Nations on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert outlined their objections to Donald Trump's so-called "

news.un (2020-02-12). 'We must all do more' to protect children in armed conflict: UN chief. news.un.org On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need to integrate child protection into peace processes during a high-level Security Council briefing on Wednesday.

teleSUR (2020-02-12). Colombian Teachers Announce 2-Day Strike To Defend Right To Live. telesurenglish.net The RELATED: | Fecode President Nelson Alarcon called Colombian citizens to join this initiative in defense of life, peace, and democracy, "against the assassination, threats…

Sarah Abed (2020-02-12). US Ambassador Sends Strong Message to Netanyahu: Patience, Young Grasshopper, You'll Annex the West Bank Soon. globalresearch.ca On January 28th, United States President Donald Trump accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top advisor/son-in-law Jared Kushner unveiled the much anticipated so-called "Deal of the Century" also referred to as the "Mideast Peace Plan". The deal greenlighted …

Fight Back (2020-02-12). Interview with Nicaraguan Sandinista youth leader Rosalía Bohórquez. fightbacknews.org In January, Fight Back! reporters participated in the World Anti-Imperialist Gathering in Caracas, Venezuela. While there, they interviewed delegates from several countries. Here's an interview with a leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and a member of the National Union of Nicaraguan Students (UNEN), Rosalía Bohórquez. Bohórquez delivers a message to working people and progressive people in the United States. | Rosalía Bohórquez: My name is Rosalía Bohórquez. I'm Nicaraguan and a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). I'm also a student and a member of the Nat…

Nino Pagliccia (2020-02-12). "Fake President" Juan Guaido Ends His International Tour, Returns to A Divided Venezuelan Opposition. globalresearch.ca We have to admit that the US public relations apparatus played a good stint at leaving Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó's visit with president Trump last in what seemed an afterthought. When many thought that Trump had snubbed him …

Tony Cartalucci (2020-02-12). US Regime Change in Venezuela: The Documented Evidence. globalresearch.ca Washington's motivation is the fact that according to OPEC, Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves on Earth — more than Saudi Arabia and accounting for nearly a quarter of all OPEC production.

Alan Macleod (2020-02-12). Media Presents Anger and Jeers Against Juan Guaido as Hometown Hero's Welcome. mintpressnews.com Upon his return to Venezuela, Juan Guaido was greeted by an enraged mob hectoring, jeering and manhandling him, kicking his car and covering him in water and other liquids.

Paul Dobson (2020-02-12). US Sanctions Venezuelan State Airline, Threatens Russian Oil Giant. globalresearch.ca The US government has sanctioned Venezuela's state-owned airline CONVIASA, claiming it is being used to "shuttle corrupt officials." | While already subject to previous US unilateral coercive measures, the latest sanctions add the airline and 40 of its planes to the …

William Walter Kay (2020-02-12). Valuing Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt. globalresearch.ca Let's place 1 trillion barrels of oil in context. Global oil consumption is currently 35 billion barrels a year. Thus, the Orinoco Belt alone could satisfy 100% of global demand for almost 30 years! As for the Orinoco field's dollar value. World oil prices are currently hovering near $60 …do the math.

Fight Back (2020-02-12). Entrevista con lideresa estudiantil Sandinista Rosalía Bohórquez. fightbacknews.org En enero unos periodistas de °Lucha y Resiste! participaron en el Encuentro Mundial Antiimperialista en Caracas, Venezuela. Allí hicieron entrevistas con delegados de varios países. Esta es una entrevista con una lideresa del Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) y una miembro(a) de la UNEN – la Unión Nacional de Estudiantes de Nicaragua. Este es su mensaje al pueblo trabajador y progresista de los Estados Unidos. | Rosalía Bohórquez: Mi nombre es Rosalía Bohórquez, nicaragàºense y miembro del Frente Sandinista para la Liberación Nacional (FSLN). Igualmente soy estudiante y miembro de la UNEN…

RT (2020-02-12). What about stopping endless wars? Trump urges GOP to vote down Iran war resolution because it's a partisan ploy by Democrats. rt.com US President Donald Trump says the resolution that would block him from using force against Iran is a partisan trick by Democrats, even though he campaigned on a peace platform and some of his closest allies support the proposal. | "We are doing very well with Iran and this is not the time to show weakness," Trump tweeted on Wednesday, adding that Tehran would "have a field day" if his hands were tied. | "The Democrats are only doing this as an attempt to embarrass the Republican Party. Don't let it happen!" he urged the GOP majority. ….If my hands were tied, Iran would have a field day. Sends a very bad s…

Staff (2020-02-12). Headlines for February 12, 2020. democracynow.org Bernie Sanders Wins New Hampshire Primary, Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet Drop Out of Presidential Race, Federal Prosecutors Quit Roger Stone Case Amid Fight with DOJ Officials, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Rejects Trump's Middle East Plan in U.N. Speech, Trump Conditionally Approves Peace Deal with the Taliban, WHO Warns Coronavirus Poses "Grave Threat" to World, Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó Heckled and Protested Upon Return to Venezuela, Report: 40% of Guatemalan, Honduran & Salvadoran Migrants Fled After Relatives Killed, WSJ: ICE & CPB Use Cellphone Location Data from Games, Apps to Arrest Immigrants,…

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-02-12). Palestinians Thank Chicago Rapper "Noname" for Her Solidarity and Courage. imemc.org The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly thanks Noname for her meaningful solidarity and moral courage. Despite the best efforts of Israel lobby groups like "Creative Community for Peace", thousands of artists worldwide have publicly endorsed the cultural boycott of apartheid Israel. Many more […] | | The Palestinian Center for Developme…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-02-12). 'Mass Murder': New Report Says Air Pollution From Fossil Fuel Combustion Causing 4.5 Million Deaths Each Year. commondreams.org "Moving our energy generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables is an essential step towards preventing catastrophic climate change and protecting our health." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/greenpeace-report-pollution-fossil-fuels-deaths.jpg

Steven Sahiounie (2020-02-12). War or Peace: Turkish backed Terrorists, Erdogan's Decision on Idlib. globalresearch.ca Turkish backed terrorists, following Radical Islam, which is a political ideology, have shot down a Syrian military

teleSUR-age (2020-02-12). Thousands of Children Die Each Year Because of Air Pollution. telesurenglish.net Every year, the burning of fossil fuels claims four-million lives, including children, especially those living in low-income countries. The main victims, warns a report by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, are the impoverished people of the world. | RELATED: | It is estimated that approximately 40,000 children die annually before reaching age five due to exposure to particulate…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-02-12). Trump Demands Senate Reject Iran War Powers Resolution as Lawmakers Debate Measure to Assert Constitutional Power. commondreams.org "If the Senate passes Sen. Tim Kaine's War Powers Resolution, both chambers will have taken a stand for peace and for their constitutional authority." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump-seante-war-powers-iran.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-02-12). Ilhan Omar Unveils Bold Proposal for US Foreign Policy 'Deeply Rooted in Justice'. commondreams.org "I believe that when the United States says it champions human rights, democracy, and peace, we should mean it!" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ilhan_omar-trump-incite-violence_1.jpg

Lucas Koerner (2020-02-12). Left Media and Venezuela: An Exchange. fair.org Critique, Solidarity and Movement Building: A Reply to Lucas Koerner: | by Gabriel Hetland FAIR.org ( Lucas Koerner's recent piece for Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, "How Western Left Media Helped Legitimate US Regime Change in Venezuela" (

Miko Peled (2020-02-11). How Trump's "Peace" Plan Will Redraw Israel's Borders to Exclude to Non-Jews. mintpressnews.com Trump's new Middle East "Peace" Plan will redraw Israeli borders to exclude towns with large populations of Arab citizens, an attempt, writes Miko Peled, to force them down the totem pole to a place where their rights will be even more limited.

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-02-11). Keep War, Environmental Degradation And Profit Out Of Space. dissidentvoice.org The 21st Century nuclear arms and developing outer space arms races, which began under Obama and are increasing under Trump, are going to be something the world has never seen before. They are a bonanza for weapons makers, the Pentagon budget and capitalists in space. They will create a less secure world, a greater wealth divide, …

John Whitehead (2020-02-11). We're All in This Together: A Case for Not Giving Up on the American Dream. mintpressnews.com America has been a warring nation—a military empire intent on occupation and conquest—for so long that perhaps we, the citizens of this warring nation, have forgotten what it means to live in peace, with the world and one another.

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-02-11). Fateh Standing behind Abbas following Threats by Israeli UN Delegate. imemc.org The Fateh movement said, today, that it stands behind PA President Mahmoud Abbas and fully supports the positions expressed in his speech before the United Nations Security Council, warning of the implications rendered by the Israeli delegate's portrayal of Abbas as an obstacle to peace, in calling for him to …

Ricardo Vaz (2020-02-11). Venezuelan Communards meet to organize national movement. mronline.org Dozens of communes from across the country are uniting to form a "large national political movement." |

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-09). Israel's "Peace Camp" Flirts with Oblivion. dissidentvoice.org For Israel's so-called peace camp, the past 12 months of general elections — a third ballot is due on 2 March — have felt more like a prolonged game of Russian roulette, with ever-diminishing odds of survival. Each time the electoral gun barrel has been spun, the two parliamentary parties associated with liberal Zionism, Labor …

Press TV (2020-02-09). Kuwait's Parliament Speaker Throws Trump's Peace Plan in the Dustbin. dissidentvoice.org Kuwait's National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim throws US president Donald Trump Mideast peace plan in the dustbin during the 30th emergency conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIU) held in the Jordanian capital, Amman. | (Source: AFP)…

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

news.un (2020-02-07). 28 militiamen sentenced in Central African Republic for murder of civilians, UN peacekeepers. news.un.org The sentencing of 28 militia members on Friday in the Central African Republic (CAR) for an array of violent crimes, including the murder of civilians as well as 10 UN peacekeepers, has been hailed as a major step forward in the fight against impunity there.

Gregory Shupak (2020-02-07). Media Urge Palestinians to Take Crumbs—Because Democracy Is Not on Offer. fair.org by Gregory Shupak The Trump administration's "Vision for Peace" | The Trump administration's "

Venezuela Analysis (2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: "We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.

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 …

Jon Rainwater (2020-01-31). House Votes to Rein in Trump's Iran War Powers While Ending Endless Wars. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — January 30, 2020 — In response to two high-profile war powers votes on the House floor today, Peace Action released the following statement: "Our nation's endless wars are on autopilot, with Trump fitfully grabbing the steering wheel until his attention wanders somewhere else. Today's votes are a step toward Congress reclaiming its …

Jon Rainwater (2020-01-08). In the ongoing crisis, Congress must rein in Trump's war powers. peaceaction.org As we feared, President Trump's reckless assassination of Iran's Gen. Soleimani resulted in escalation — direct Iranian missile attacks on two military bases in Iraq. It's painful to watch more violence in a country that has already suffered far too much from endless war. All parties in the US/Iran conflict must cease military action and …

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-16). Francisco Rodriguez answers some questions I asked about Venezuela. zcomm.org Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez, formerly of Torino Economics, answered a few questions of mine about his country. He was the economic adviser to Henri Falcon, the second place finisher in the May 2018 presidential election. His updated estimate for 2019 is that Venezuela's real GDP will contract by 25% . That's horrific, but less severe

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

Jon Rainwater (2019-09-25). Take Action to Avoid War with Iran. peaceaction.org photo credit Dear Groundswell Readers, We have to keep pushing Congress this week if we want to avoid war with Iran. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said recently that the U.K. might join a U.S.-led military effort in the Gulf. When other nations step up to join the "coalition of the willing" it's often a bad sign. …

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …