2020-03-31: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-31). Taliban team arrives in Kabul for 1st time since 2001, will monitor prisoner release — spokesman. rt.com A three-member Taliban technical team arrived in the Afghan capital on Tuesday to monitor the release of their prisoners, a spokesman for the insurgent group said. The move is part of a peace deal signed by the Taliban and the US. | Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the team's arrival in a tweet. It marked the first time a Taliban delegation has been in Kabul since the group was driven out by the US-led coalition in November 2001, AP said. | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday praised the Afghan government negotiating team that was identified to hold talks with the Taliban as appearing to…

RT (2020-03-31). Russia sets up new oil company to potentially take over operations in Venezuela. rt.com A company specializing in the production and transportation of oil and gas has been set up in Russia, according to the state registry data. The new firm could take over projects in Venezuela after Rosneft sold its assets there. | Roszarubezhneft, which is owned by the Federal Agency for Government Property Management, will have an authorized capital of 322.7 billion rubles (over $4 billion). | The company was registered in Moscow on March 28, after Russia's oil major Rosneft announced the sale of its assets in Venezuela. On Saturday, Rosneft signed an agreement with the newly established government-run company…

RT (2020-03-31). Coup plan B! US tells Guaido he may renounce his Venezuela 'presidency' claim — but they'll still support him. rt.com The US State Department magnanimously agreed that opposition politician Juan Guaido may not actually be president of Venezuela, but insisted he still has to be part of a transition government if Caracas wants sanctions relief. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put forth a "democratic transition framework" on Tuesday, under which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would set up a power-sharing interim government with Guaido, that would arrange for elections in six months to a year. | According to Pompeo, the proposal "protects the interests and equities of all Venezuelan people who desperately seek a resolution…

RT (2020-03-31). Attempted coup & assassinations: Venezuelan prosecutors subpoena Guaido as 'among main perpetrators' in US-backed regime-change op. rt.com Venezuela's prosecutors have summoned Juan Guaido over his role in the "attempted coup d'etat," as well as in alleged assassination attempts. Guaido is the main figure in US-backed efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. | The move was The move comes after a cache of weaponry, said to be smuggled into Venezuela, was seized in neighboring Co…

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Southcom boosts US military presence in Latin America, citing China, Russia 'threats'. thegrayzone.com Southern Command is ramping up the US military presence in Latin America to counter China, Russia, and Venezuela, after signing…

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Brazil's ex-President Lula on Venezuela: Maduro is democratic, Guaidó should be in prison, US blockade kills civilians. thegrayzone.com In comments ignored by English language media, Lula da Silva slammed the US coup attempt against Venezuela, calling Nicolás Maduro…

teleSUR (2020-03-31). UN Regrets Lack of Progress in Middle East Peace. telesurenglish.net UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Monday said he regretted the lack of progress on the ground, expressing concern over Israeli settlements and its plans to annex Palestinian land. | RELATED: | The expansion of Israeli settlements continues to pose a significant obstacle to achieving a viable two-state solution, Mladenov told the Security Council via video teleconference…

Roger Harris (2020-03-31). Beyond Chutzpah: US Charges Venezuela With Nacro-Terrorism. counterpunch.org According to the parable, the ungrateful son takes out a life insurance policy on his parents, murders them to collect, and is caught and found guilty. At his sentencing, the judge asks if he has anything to say on his behalf. The son replies: "Have mercy upon me because I am an orphan." That's chutzpah.

WSWS (2020-03-31). US military veterans who fought as mercenaries for Ukrainian fascists indicted on double murder charges. wsws.org Alex Zwiefelhofer and Craig Lang are accused of orchestrating the double murder and robbery of Serafin and Deana Lorenzo to finance a trip to Venezuela for the purpose of killing "communists."

Karl Grossman (2020-03-31). Right-Wing Media Joined Trump in Enabling Health Disaster. fair.org "If Hitler succeeds in pointing the way of peace and order and an ethical development which has been destroyed throughout the world by war, he will have accomplished a measure of good not only for his own people but for all humanity."—William Randolph Hearst (New York Times, The downplaying of the coronavirus by the right-wing press in the United States was preceded decades ago by the media owned by William Randolph Hearst enabling a different sort of toxicity by promoting a positive image of Nazism in the US.

DLI (2020-03-31). Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis. indybay.org For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism (wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies) will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.

Edward Curtin (2020-03-31). Bob Dylan's Midnight Message to JFK's Ghost. dissidentvoice.org For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ. — Hamlet On May 1, 1962, President John Kennedy was meeting in the Oval Office with a group of Quakers who were urging him to do more for peace and disarmament. As he kept explaining the great political opposition he was facing within …

sputniknews (2020-03-31). Pompeo Calls on Maduro and Guaido to Step Aside for New Venezuela Elections. sputniknews.com The US secretary of state also said that the two men need to establish a transitional government to arrange the polls.

yenisafak (2020-03-31). EU launches Libya military mission. yenisafak.com EU foreign ministers approved on Tuesday the launch of a new military mission, Operation IRINI, to monitor the UN arms embargo on Libya.The new mission will operate in the air, sea, and through satellites to ensure that all countries respect the ban on providing arms for the parties involved in the Libyan conflict."Even in the time of coronavirus, the EU shows determination to promote peace on our neighborhood," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pointed out at a press conference on Tuesday.The EU forces will also watch for the illegal oil exports, prevent human trafficking and contribute to the training of th…

Alan Macleod (2020-03-30). IMF Conditions Emergency COVID-19 Loan to Venezuela on Regime Change. mintpressnews.com Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) blocked a request from Venezuela for an emergency loan to deal with the COVID—19 pandemic on the grounds that President Nicolas Maduro "lacked recognition." "IMF engagement with member countries is predicated on official government recognition by the international community, as reflected in the IMF's membership. There is no clarity on recognition at this time," a spokesperson for the international banking organization

teleSUR (2020-03-30). Chinese Specialists Arrive in Venezuela to Combat Coronavirus. telesurenglish.net On Monday morning, a HAINAN Airlines flight from Beijing arrived in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to deliver aid and transport several medical specialists to help fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. | RELATED: | According to reports, the HAINAN Airlines aircraft arrived in Caracas at 2: 30 A.M. (local time) on Monday. The aircraft reportedly transported a large amount of humanitarian aid and eight specialist. | "

Roger D. Harris (2020-03-30). Beyond Chutzpah: the Hypocrisy of US Nacroterrorism Charges Against Venezuela. mintpressnews.com This latest escalation of the US hybrid war against Venezuela takes place amid a global pandemic, which the US apparently sees as an opportunity to further attack a people made more vulnerable by the health crisis.

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-03-29). Has America reached its endgame in Afghanistan? mronline.org In an extraordinary statement titled "On the Political Impasse in Afghanistan," Washington has admitted to the failure of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's mission to Kabul on March 23, which was taken up to heal the political rift among Afghan politicians and to urge them to form an inclusive government so as to implement the …

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Evo Morales Expresses Solidarity With Venezuela Amid US Attacks. telesurenglish.net Former Bolivian President Evo Morales said that with the most recent attack by the United States government against Venezuela, Washington intends to distract public opinion about the collapse of the country's health services in the face of Covid-19. | RELATED: | "The US is in a humanitarian crisis. The health services of its main cities are beginning to collapse," stressed the leader of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) o…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Venezuela Never Part of US Drug Circuit: Ex-UN Anti-Drugs Chief. telesurenglish.net Former Vice Secretary of the United Nations and Former Executive Director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Pino Arlacchi reminded Saturday that Venezuela has always been outside the main cocaine trafficking circuits between the world's main producer and consumer; Colombia and the United States. | RELATED: | "I have been dealing with the issue of drugs for forty years, and I have never encountered Venezuela. Before, durin…

Fight Back (2020-03-29). U.S. Imperialism Pulls Desperate Move in Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). | For years, the criminal government of the United States has attempted to remove the democratically elected president of Venezuela and discredit the peoples' movement in that country that has been so successful in lifting millions of Venezuelans out of extreme poverty. Under the corrupt Trump administration alone, the United States has conducted multiple illegal attacks against President Nicolas Maduro and the people of Venezuela, including: failed assassination attempts by drone, poorly orchestrated mi…

Kathy Kelly (2020-03-28). Vigil for Peace in Yemen, a New Norm. dissidentvoice.org For the past three years, several dozen New Yorkers have gathered each Saturday at Union Square, at 11: 00 a.m. to vigil for peace in Yemen. Now, however, due to the coronavirus, the vigil for peace is radically altered. Last week, in recognition of the city's coming shelter in place program, participants were asked to hold …

Joe Parkin Daniels (2020-03-28). [World Report] Venezuelan migrants "struggling to survive" amid COVID-19. thelancet.com Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

Eliza Egret (2020-03-28). When death dealers make ventilators, we know it's time to end the arms trade. thecanary.co Peace activists might be relieved to hear that UK arms companies are Meanwhile, arms company Babcock is working with a medical equipment company to make thousands of ventilators. Babcock is now seemingly concerned with saving lives, rather t…

news.un (2020-03-28). COVID-19: UN envoy hails strong Israel-Palestine cooperation. news.un.org Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has praised the coordination between the Israeli and Palestine authorities in reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leonardo Flores (2020-03-28). Trump's Narcoterrorism Indictment of Maduro Already Backfires. commondreams.org A U.S. Justice Department images displays charges against Venezuelan President Nicol√°s Maduro and other Venezuelan officials on March 26, 2020. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/charges-maduro-doj.jpg

teleSUR (2020-03-28). Russia Calls to Lift 'Genocidal' Sanctions Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Russia's Foreing Minister Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Friday reiterated her country's call to lift the illegal economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela, which they consider as a "genocide tool" in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "We will not tire of repeating our call to immediately cancel arbitrary unilateral sanctions that at the current juncture of the epidemic become almost a weapo…

news.un (2020-03-27). Peacekeeping radio stations provide COVID-19 information to vulnerable communities in conflict-affected countries. news.un.org UN Peacekeeping radio stations have in recent decades helped build support for peace process in a dozen countries around the world including Cambodia, Croatia, Namibia and Timor-Leste.

Vijay Prashad (2020-03-26). As the World tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. raises the pressure on Venezuela. mronline.org In a press conference on March 26, it was almost comical how little evidence the U.S. Department of Justice provided when it accused Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro and several of the leaders of his government of narco-trafficking. The U.S. offered $15 million for the arrest of Maduro and $10 million for the others. Maduro, U.S. …

Leonardo Flores (2020-03-25). Venezuela's Coronavirus Response Might Surprise You. mintpressnews.com Unlike in the United States where coronavirus treatment can cost up to $35,000 and where Trump seems more concerned about the economy than about peoples' lives, Venezuela is handling the crisis by placing value in health over profits.

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-25). Media Struggle to Defend Washington's Cruelty Toward Venezuela and Iran as Coronavirus Spreads. fair.org AP (New York Times, An Associated Press article (New York Times,

Staff (2020-03-24). "Humanitarian Solidarity": Even Under U.S. Sanctions, Cuba Sends Doctor Brigade to Italy and More. democracynow.org As Italy's death toll soars past 6,000, Cuba has sent medical brigades to combat COVID-19. Cuba has also deployed doctors to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Suriname and Grenada. "The arrival of a medical brigade from Cuba to Italy is pretty historic. You have a leading European nation accepting support in the form of a medical team from a small Caribbean island," says our guest, Peter Kornbluh, director of the Cuba Documentation Project at the National Security Archive at George Washington University. "It just goes to the history of Cuba's deep and long-lasting commitment to humanitarian solidarity with other cou…

Lilly Dragnev (2020-03-20). Peace Action Supports Wyden-Klobuchar Bill to Protect Democracy and Ensure Safe Elections. peaceaction.org Statement of Jon Rainwater, Executive Director, Peace Action, on the introduction of the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act (NDEBA) by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). This bill would help ensure that elections can take place in a safe and secure way throughout the pandemic and beyond. March 19, 2020 Peace Action …

Aaron Maté (2020-03-20). Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal. thegrayzone.com Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…

Lilly Dragnev (2020-03-13). Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 12, 2020 — In response to reports that the U.S. has carried out five airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "At a time of one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, it is shocking that the Trump …

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action,

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-03-11). Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 11, 2020 — In response to the House passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Both chambers and …

Medea Benjamin (2020-03-02). Can the World's Second Superpower Rise From the Ashes of Twenty Years of War? zcomm.org If there is a lesson for peace-loving Americans in the Obama and Trump presidencies, it is that we cannot just walk out of the voting booth and leave it to a champion in the White House to end our wars and bring us peace. In the final analysis, it really is up to us…

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-02-13). Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — February 13, 2020 — In response to the Senate passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "It's about time …

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 …