(2020-08-09). How The US Failed At Its Foreign Policy Toward Venezuela. popularresistance.org On August 4, 2020, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on Venezuela. Appearing before the committee was U.S. State Department Special Representative Elliott Abrams. Abrams, who has had a long—and controversial—career in the formation of U.S. foreign policy, was assaulted by almost all the members of the Senate committee. The senators, almost without exception, suggested that Abrams had been—since 2019—responsible for a failed U.S. attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro.
(2020-08-09). Afghanistan to free 400 Taliban to start peace talks. yenisafak.com The Afghan president, following a recommendation by a traditional Afghan council, pledged on Sunday to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners to pave the way for peace talks aimed at ending the nearly two-decade-long war."The Taliban must demonstrate they are not afraid of a comprehensive ceasefire… there is no great bravery required for war, but for peace," Ashraf Ghani told the Loya Jirga, which began on Friday.He promised to free the remaining prisoners on Aug. 19, Afghanistan's Independence Day.Over 3,000 public figures, who assembled in the capital Kabul, approved the release and called for an immedia…
(2020-08-09). New US rep. for Iran indicates Trump's confusion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela Hojjatollah Soltani said that the new US special representative for the Islamic Republic of Iran indicates Trump's confusion.
(2020-08-09). Social Security & Medicare Cut to Be Permanent if Nazi Trump Reelected. indybay.org Nazi Trump signed an illegal order on 8/8/20 to cut the payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare and promised on national TV to make it permanent if he is re-elected. This is a long-standing Republican Party program, outlined in their platform as they want to privatize both programs.
(2020-08-08). CODEPINK Denounces Elliott Abrams' Appointment As US Special Representative For Iran. popularresistance.org The appointment of Elliott Abrams to replace Brian Hook as the next U.S. Special Representative for Iran is another low point for the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Iran. The dangerous conflict resulting from Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement will be exacerbated by a man committed to Washington's failed policies of regime change, including in his present-day position as Trump's representative for Venezuela. | Elliott Abrams has made a career of lying and committing criminal acts that have led to the death and suffering of innocent people from Guatemala to Iraq.
(2020-08-08). Venezuela's Maduro Demands Investigation into Landlord Violence. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan president ordered the armed forces to protect campesinos from landowner attacks.
(2020-08-08). Trudeau government remains silent on corruption and repression in Haiti. mronline.org 
One way to evaluate the seriousness of the Trudeau government's stated objectives in seeking to oust Venezuela's elected government is to examine their policies elsewhere in the region.
(2020-08-08). Georgian actions amounted to declaration of war on Russia — former President Medvedev has no regrets about 2008 conflict. rt.com 
Russia had to intervene to protect people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2008, when Georgia shelled civilians and "peacekeepers," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, calling the move a 'difficult decision." | At the time, Georgia was led by Mikhail Saakashvili, who later fled to Ukraine and remains wanted on criminal charges back home. Medvedev called the behavior of Saakashvili "criminal," and criticized the "scoundrels" who ordered troops to open fire on the houses of civilians and Russian "peacekeepers." | "I made a difficult, but the only possible decision — to stand in defense of Abkhazi…
(2020-08-08). 'Lebanese people have suffered too much': US encourages 'peaceful' regime change as protests rage in blast-ravaged Beirut. rt.com 
The US Embassy has expressed its solidarity with anti-government protesters in Lebanon, urging all sides to "refrain from violence," after clashes in blast-devastated Beirut left around 500 people injured. | Thousands of people gathered in Beirut on Saturday, demanding the government resign over corruption and negligence, which they believe led to the horrific explosion this week. | Also on rt.com | | Amid clashes with riot police, protesters stormed sev…
(2020-08-08). 'This is a peaceful protest!' Trump rebukes journalist who mask-shamed crowded press conference. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump sparred with a reporter who observed that dozens of people at a press conference in New Jersey were flouting the state's health guidelines, arguing the crowd was engaged in a "protest against fake news." | During a presser at Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey on Friday, a journalist challenged the president's contention that the coronavirus is "disappearing," pointing out that even the crowd attending the press event was not adhering to the state's restrictions. The question drew audible groans from the audience. | "No, they don't have to, this is a political activity. You…
(2020-08-08). UN experts renew call for removal of US anti-human sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 08 (MNA) — A group of UN experts has once agian called for unilateral US sanctions to be lifted on countries including Iran, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and Cuba.
(2020-08-08). Venezuela And Trump's Irrational Electoral Policy. popularresistance.org Caracas, Venezuela – Elections always have an interesting effect on public policy, in particular if the person in charge of designing and implementing a certain policy is up for reelection. In politics, it is logical that an incumbent candidate decides to show successful policies and accomplishments while minimizing failures or shortcomings. However, what is irrational is that a candidate insists on presenting, preserving and deepening a policy that has proven to be a failure and that the candidate himself only supports half-heartedly.
(2020-08-07). America had first Contemplated Nuclear War against both China and North Korea in 1950. globalresearch.ca America's use of nuclear weapons on a first strike basis is no longer considered as a weapon of total annihilation. Quite the opposite, the preemptive use of nukes is upheld as a means to ensuring global peace and security. This is the doctrine which prevails today under Trump's "fire and fury"
(2020-08-07). Venezuela Ratifies Commitment Against Drug Trafficking. telesurenglish.net The President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro ratified on Friday Venezuela's commitment in the fight against drug trafficking, on the 15th anniversary of the expulsion of the United States (U.S.) Agency for Drug Control (DEA). | RELATED: | "On a day like today 15 years ago, Commander Hugo Chavez (1954-2013) cut off relations with the largest drug cartel on the continent, the DEA. Since then, we have reinforced th…
(2020-08-07). Meet the Candidates — Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). peaceaction.org Wednesday, August 5th 2020, Peace Action kicked off our new series of "Meet the Candidates" webinars with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). Sen. Markey has provided steadfast leadership on issues of peace and justice and has been among our strongest allies in Congress. A long-time advocate for nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, he has stepped up …
(2020-08-07). When the Chickens Came Home to Roost In Portlandistan. counterpunch.org Well folks, it's official, Donald Trump has declared war on America. Probably should have saw that coming. After all, I've long argued that our dayglow duce isn't an isolationist but merely the world's shittiest imperialist. After trying and failing miserably to bring fascism to Nicaragua and Venezuela, Trump has set his sites on targets much
(2020-08-07). Friday 8/7: 75th Anniversary Hiroshima and Nagasaki Remembered Ceremony (PPC & Peace Action). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-07). Turkey's first martyred pilot: Cengiz Topel. yenisafak.com The first martyr of the Turkish Air Force, Pilot Captain Cengiz Topel, was remembered on Friday, 56 years after his plane was shot down on Aug. 7, 1964, during a warning flight on Greek Cypriot soldiers opening fire on Turkish civilians on the island.Topel was among the Turkish civilians' first line of defense against the Greek Cypriot soldiers, amid attacks that would escalate over the coming decade until Turkey's peace intervention against a Greek Cypriot coup attempting to topple the internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus.Topel's legacy lives on both in Turkey and the Turkish Republic…
(2020-08-06). Seeking peace on the Korean Peninsula. mronline.org 
Although the date drew little notice in the U.S. media, July 27, 2020 marked the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, an agreement that ended the fighting but not the war between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
(2020-08-06). 75 years: Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki—the struggle for peace continues. liberationnews.org 
Today our hearts go out to the Japanese people.
(2020-08-06). Hiroshima survivors hammer Japanese government for not signing anti-nuke treaty. peoplesworld.org 
Survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima 75 years ago confronted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today over his refusal to support nuclear disarmament. On the anniversary of the U.S. atom bombing, which killed an estimated 140,000 people, survivors gathered before the Hiroshima Peace Memorial—the bombed-out ruin of Hiroshima's prefectural industrial promotion hall—for a minute's …
(2020-08-06). On the Enduring Significance of Hiroshima after 75 Years. globalresearch.ca Seventy-five years ago, an act of international criminality and infamy took place, the consequences of which have posed an existential threat to humanity ever since. For the first time ever, a species had created the capacity to not only bring …
(2020-08-06). Staring into the Economic Abyss. zcomm.org It will take an across-the-board combination of militant protest, get out the vote, and doing whatever is necessary to protect the results to best position partisans of justice, peace and saving the planet for the bitter battles that lie beyond November…
(2020-08-06). US Senate Hearing Unveils Trump's Plans Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday held a hearing to discuss Donald Trump administration's policy towards Venezuela. The U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliot Abrams was summoned to answer questions about it. | RELATED: | At the meeting, Republican Senator Mitt Romney and other Democratic lawmakers referred to the failure of the U.S. actions carried out to prompt a government change i…
(2020-08-06). Ex-Venezuelan Official Charged in Bribery, Money Laundering Scheme, US Justice Department Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A former official at Citgo Petroleum Corporation, a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned energy company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, has been charged with involvement in a bribery and corruption scheme, the US Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday.
(2020-08-06). 'Still Here': Honoring Hibakusha 75 Years After. commondreams.org Japanese people pray in front of the Cenotaph for the Bomb Victims before the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on the day of the 71th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 2016 in Hiroshima, Japan. Japan marks the 71th anniversary of the first atomic bomb that was dropped by the United States on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing an estimated number of 70,000 people instantly with many thousands more dying over the following years from the effects of radiation. Three days later another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, ending World War II. (Photo…
(2020-08-06). Life Under the Bomb Means a Life of Resistance. commondreams.org "Our message over the years has been simple and urgent: Nuclear weapons have totally failed us. They don't make us safer; they don't provide jobs; they don't make us more secure—these are age-old lies. Instead they bankrupt us, economically and spiritually." (Photo: Courtesy of Rev. John Dear) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/seek_peace_no_nukes.jpg …
(2020-08-06). Jamaica Celebrates Its 58th Independence Day With Resilience. telesurenglish.net Jamaica celebrates Thursday the 58 anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Despite COVID-19, we remain committed to making this the decade of growth for Jamaica to anchor our peace, prosperity, and resilience," Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted. | He also referred to the efforts made in fiscal, monetary, and structural reforms, which have let Jamaica be "in a…
(2020-08-05). 75 years after the bomb, Hiroshima still chooses 'reconciliation and hope'. news.un.org In a video message delivered to a Peace Memorial Ceremony in Japan on Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has paid tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which devastated the city in 1945.
(2020-08-05). Saturday 8/8: 75th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance & Virtual Peace Lantern Ceremony. indybay.org Online via YouTube livestream or Zoom…
(2020-08-05). After 75 Years, Last Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings Says Nuclear Abolition Still 'Starting Point for Peace'. commondreams.org "Hell is probably like what we went through. It must never be allowed to happen again." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1227897368_hiroshima_survivor-crop.jpg …
