2020-02-14: News Headlines

Fred_F (2020-02-14). Solidarity activists report on visit to Venezuela. greenleft.org.au

RT (2020-02-14). Trump's Middle East 'deal of the century' is 'occupation plan', Turkey's Erdogan tells Pakistani parliament. rt.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal and vowed to back Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir as he gave a speech to lawmakers in Islamabad. | Erdogan railed against Trump's much-touted roadmap for Israel and Palestine while addressing Pakistan's parliament on Friday. | "The plan… is not a peace project but in fact, a project for occupation," he said, as quoted by local media. | The Turkish leader noted that Ankara "gave the biggest reaction" to Trump's initiative, which was quickly rejected by the Palestinians and widely dismissed throughout the Mus…

RT (2020-02-14). US & Taliban reach reduction of violence deal that 'could lead to troop withdrawal' — official. rt.com The United States has reached a reduction of violence agreement with the Taliban that could lead to a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Reuters quoted a senior administration official as saying on Friday. | The agreement for a seven-day "reduction in violence" to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is "very specific" and covers the entire country including Afghan forces, AP reported. | The developments come as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich, Germany with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. They spoke on the sidelines o…

teleSUR (2020-02-14). 'Justice Must Prevail in This World' Venezuela's President Says. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's RELATED: | "The struggle for justice, the equality of states, and peace is very established… en…

Andrew Korybko (2020-02-14). The US' "Central Asian Strategy" Isn't Sinister, but that Doesn't Mean It'll Succeed. globalresearch.ca The US' newly unveiled "Strategy For Central Asia 2019-2025" surprisingly isn't sinister like some of the countries' critics might have expected, but that doesn't mean that it'll succeed since its viability almost entirely depends on bringing "peace" to Afghanistan first …

Monterey Peace and Justice Center (2020-02-14). U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System. indybay.org Monterey Peace and Justice Center | 1364 Fremont Boulevard | Seaside, CA 93955…

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-14). Venezuela to Sue Trump Regime in ICJ: Does It Matter? globalresearch.ca Is it possible for aggrieved nations to gain favorable international tribunal rulings against the US that force it to pay a price for its high crimes and other wrongdoing? | The International Court of Justice (ICJ) was established to settle disputes …

teleSUR (2020-02-14). Cuba and Venezuela Further Strengthen Ties at Havana Book Fair. telesurenglish.net The 29th edition of the Havana International Book Fair hosted the presentation of two titles that narrate the contemporary political battle of Venezuela. | RELATED: | Venezuelan historian Pedro Calzadilla's "Nine Street" (La Calle 9) was one of the books presented at the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, the main venue of the literary event that began on Feb. 8. | This book is "a tribute to the rebelliousness, co…

Telesur (2020-02-14). Venezuela Files Complaint at The Hague ICC: 'US Coercive Measures Are Mass Destruction Weapons'. globalresearch.ca Venezuela's During his meeting with the Court, Arreaza exposed the crimes against …

Alan Macleod (2020-02-14). Mistrial Declared in Kafkaesque D.C. Trial of Venezuela Embassy Protectors. mintpressnews.com Judge Beryl Howell has declared a mistrial following a hung jury in the case of the four Venezuela Embassy Protectors charged with "interfering with the protective function of the State Department."

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Veterans Peace UK Organise Pro-Assange Public Outreach Event. sputniknews.com Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have been credited with helping inform military veterans who subsequently chose to speak out against US and UK foreign polices following revelations of war crimes, falsehoods, and corruption.

Medea Benjamin (2020-02-14). Can the World's Second Superpower Rise From the Ashes of Twenty Years of War? zcomm.org The peace movement's small victories demonstrate that we have more power to challenge U.S. militarism than most Americans realize…

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-14). Trump Regime Hostility Toward Palestinians. globalresearch.ca Trump supports privileged interests in the US and Israel exclusively. | Dismissive toward ordinary people everywhere, he's been hostile toward long-suffering Palestinians throughout his tenure — in deference to Israel and Zionist ideologues infesting his regime. | His no-peace, no-self-determination annexation scheme, …

news.un (2020-02-13). Year-old peace agreement must be implemented for 'lasting peace' in Central African Republic. news.un.org Following a visit to the Central African Republic, a UN independent expert said that everyone must take all measures necessary to effectively implement the peace agreement that was signed in Bangui a year ago.

Staff (2020-02-13). BDS is the Most Effective Response to Trump's Apartheid Plan. imemc.org BDS Movement: Trump's "deal of the century" aims to cement Israel's apartheid rule over the Palestinian people, and is the final nail in the coffin of the moribund "peace process" The plan Trump hatched with Israel's far-right government aims to cement Israel's apartheid rule over the Palestinian people. It is …

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…

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…

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 …

commondreams (2020-02-13). Peace Action: Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War. commondreams.org ______________________________…

news.un (2020-02-13). Transitional justice processes critical to lasting peace, Security Council hears. news.un.org For countries to move forward after conflict or mass atrocities, suffering must be acknowledged and justice served, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Security Council on Thursday.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-02-13). Accusing US of Crimes Against Humanity, Venezuela Calls on ICC to Investigate Sanctions. commondreams.org Venezuela's top diplomat on Thursday called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into sanctions imposed on the country by the Trump administration, saying the sanctions have been the cause of suffering by millions of Venezuelans. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1164780243_1.jpg

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…

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.

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.

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.

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…

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…

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,…

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.

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.

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 …

Peace Action (2019-07-11). Peace Action Endorses 'the Squad' — Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 11, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, has endorsed four progressive champions for the House of Representatives in the 2020 election, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for New York's 14th district, Rep. Ilhan Omar for Minnesota's 5th district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib …

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-06-28). Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …