Daily Archives: September 14, 2020

2020-09-14: News Headlines

Badri Raina (2020-09-14). Is It a Crime To Peacefully Protest Against the Government's Policies? zcomm.org With several eminent activists and academics named in the Delhi Police's supplementary chargesheet, it is best to be told in black and white who may speak and who may not…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-14). World must boycott those who only pretend to favor peace. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 14 (MNA) —The Commander of Iran Army's University of Command and Staff said that the world should move towards peace, and in this regard, those who are are making a pretense of being adherent to peace should be boycotted.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-14). Rio Tinto turns Cultural Vandal: The Destruction of the Juukan Gorge Caves. dissidentvoice.org It was a calamity in cultural terms likened to the destruction of the Buddhist statues of Bamyan and the ancient city of Palmyra. The explosive eradication of two Aboriginal sites in West Australia's Juukan Gorge in May, said to be 46,000 years old, moved Peter Stone, the UNESCO chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace, …

sputniknews (2020-09-13). Attack on Venezuela Refineries a Playbook US Regime Change Scenario, Political Experts Say. sputniknews.com In the last two years, Venezuela has thwarted a coup attempt organised by opposition leader Juan Guaido, one attempt to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro, and energy outages reportedly caused by sabotage. These events were linked by Caracas directly or indirectly to the US, which has been seeking to unseat Maduro.

_____ (2020-09-13). A Tale of Two Mass Gatherings: Sturgis 'Super Spreader' Bike Rally vs. Black Lives Matter 'Fiery but Mostly Peaceful' Protests. strategic-culture.org Judging by the way the media and medical authorities are reprimanding public events organized by right-leaning organizations, it appears beyond doubt that the coronavirus outbreak is being used as a political weapon to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. | In early August, an estimated 460,000 motorcyclists took part in the annual pilgrimage to South Dakota. The Sturgis Biker Rally, which has been a major draw since 1938, is a 10-day event that generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, much of it made on alcohol-fueled fun and revelry. In other words, as the party poopers would sa…

yenisafak (2020-09-13). Afghan forces, Taliban continue to clash even as peace talks start. yenisafak.com "With the start of intra-Afghan talks we were expecting the Taliban to reduce the number of their attacks, but unfortunately their attacks are still going in high numbers," Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry, said.Representatives from a number of countries who spoke at the inauguration of the peace talks called on the Taliban to announce an immediate ceasefire before negotiators sat down to find a way to end decades of war in Afghanistan.The Taliban did not say anything about a possible ceasefire at the ceremony.Achieving a significant reduction in violence and how to get to a permanent cease…

_____ (2020-09-13). China: US Is 'Destroyer Of World Peace'. popularresistance.org A spokesman for China's defense ministry said on Sunday that the U.S. is the "destroyer of world peace" while criticizing a Pentagon report on Beijing's military goals. | The Associated Press reported that Col. Wu Qian called the Department of Defense report released earlier this month a "wanton distortion" of his nation's intentions. | "Many years of evidence shows that it is the U.S. that is the fomenter of regional unrest, the violator of the international order and the destroyer of world peace," he said, noting U.S. actions in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries, according to the news service.

_____ (2020-09-13). Join The Black Peoples March On Trump's White House. popularresistance.org The Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations (BiBC) is calling on colonized and unrepresented people of the U.S. to join us November 6-8 for the Black Power Matters march on the white house opposing the reactionary U.S. agenda being imposed on Africans and others within the U.S. and around the world. | Millions of people within the U.S. have been pushed out of legitimate political life by the rulers of this country. The two ruling parties have both put on their ritual shows called conventions, formally nominating their respective representatives for U.S. president and unveiling their two…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-13). Trump 'certainly' after using Afghan peace for re-election. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 13 (MNA) — A former Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan believes that US President Donald Trump is trying to use the Afghan peace negotiations in Doha as a card in the November election.

sputniknews (2020-09-13). Protest Underway in Israel's Ben Gurion Airport Ahead of Netanyahu's Departure to US. sputniknews.com TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – Protesters have gathered at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to depart to the United States for the signing ceremony of landmark peace deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Sunday.

yenisafak (2020-09-13). Oman welcomes Bahrain's initiative to normalise ties with Israel. yenisafak.com Oman welcomes Bahrain's decision to normalise relations with Israel, Oman state TV reported on Sunday."The Sultanate welcomes the initiative taken by the sisterly kingdom of Bahrain," the channel said on its Twitter account.Oman hopes "this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital," it added.

yenisafak (2020-09-13). Afghans see hope on horizon as peace talks commence. yenisafak.com The launch of the direct talks for peace in Afghanistan has left many in this conflict-riddled nation caught between curiosity and cautious optimism.Extraordinarily vigilant security was what many Afghans in the bustling capital of Kabul noticed as they began their work week Saturday. Thursdays and Fridays are weekends in Afghanistan.The day talks began, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani chaired a meeting of the Security High Command with the army and intelligence chiefs and other key officials. "Serious attention should be paid for the security of highways," he said, according to a statement by his office.

Ben Norton (2020-09-12). Grandson of overthrown Chilean President Salvador Allende defends Venezuela against US coup attempt. thegrayzone.com The grandson of Chile's former elected socialist President Salvador Allende, who was toppled in a 1973 CIA-orchestrated military coup, has lived in Venezuela for 10 years. The Grayzone's Ben Norton interviewed Pablo Sepúlveda Allende in Caracas. Sepúlveda Allende spoke about the many similarities between the democratic revolutions in Chile and Venezuela, and why he thinks …

The Lancet (2020-09-12). [Editorial] Global collaboration for health: rhetoric versus reality. thelancet.com The 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) opens on Sept 15, 2020. Being held remotely for the first time, the meeting will inevitably be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but other issues on the agenda that have resonance for global health include the climate crisis, peace, disarmament, and humanitarian assistance. Underpinning this year's agenda is the UN theme of multilateralism, under the banner "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism".

teleSUR (2020-09-12). Venezuela: US Ex-Marine Caught Spying on Oil Refineries. telesurenglish.net A U.S. former marine and spy who had been spying on the Amuay and Cardon refineries was captured in the Venezuelan state of Falcon on Thursday. | RELATED: | Speaking on the twelfth anniversary of the youth wing of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the JPSUV, President Nicolas Maduro said the captured individual had served a function at CIA bases in Iraq and was found with weapons and a large sum of cash.

news.un (2020-09-12). Historic Afghan talks present 'major opportunity' for peace: UN Secretary-General. news.un.org The first ever direct talks between Afghan Government representatives and the Taliban which began on Saturday, present "a major opportunity" to finally realise the "long-held aspirations" of the people, for a peaceful future, the UN chief has said.

yenisafak (2020-09-12). US 'doesn't seek to impose' democracy on Afghanistan. yenisafak.com After 19 years of American invasion in the name of fighting terrorist groups and democratizing Afghanistan, which led to the shattering of latter's political institutions, the US on Saturday announced that it is no longer interested in exporting democracy to the war-weary country.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks came in the beginning of intra-Afghan peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in the Qatari capital Doha.The historic talks aim to end nearly two decades of armed insurgency in Afghanistan amid pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration ahead of elections…

_____ (2020-09-12). It's Time For The West To Sit Down, Shut Up And Listen To 'The Others'. popularresistance.org We were always told what to think; what is correct and what is wrong. By the white dudes living in or coming from Europe and North America. They knew everything. They were the most qualified. | When I write "white," I don't mean just their race or color of their skin. To me, "white" is their culture, where they belong. Yes, their identity. | We Russians, Cubans, Venezuelans, Chinese, Iranians, Turks are not really "white," even if our color of the skin is. Not that we are dying to be white, really! We have our own way of living and thinking, and most of us are on the side of the oppressed, of the 'wretched of the…

_____ (2020-09-12). Sept. 26: No New Cold War International Forum. popularresistance.org For our second international webinar, we're bringing together peace activists from China, the US, Britain, South Africa, India, Morocco, Bolivia and Belgium to discuss how to oppose the US-led New Cold War. | The event will take place on Zoom, on Saturday 26 September, 2pm UK / 9pm China / 9am US Eastern / 6am US Pacific. To get a ticket to the Zoom event, register on Eventbrite. Registered users will receive a link within 24 hours of the event starting. The event will also be streamed to Youtube and Facebook.

San Mateo Peace Action (2020-09-12). Sunday 9/13: Sharat G. Lin on the Rise and Fall of U.S.-China Relations. indybay.org Online…

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-12). New Arrival of Cuban Doctors & Health Professionals in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Venezuela has welcomed another 93 Cuban doctors this week, who'll collaborate with health authorities to combat COVID-19. | RELATED: | Vice Minister for the Ministry of Health, Gerardo Briceño, reported that the newly arrived medical professionals would be joining teams around the country. | "93 comrades from the Cuban Medical Brigade, from the Henry Reeve Brigade, are coming to join six important Brigades in the Center, East and West of the c…

yenisafak (2020-09-12). Palestinian Authority: Bahrain-Israel deal 'betrayal'. yenisafak.com The Palestinian Authority on Friday condemned Bahrain's move of normalizing relations with Israel. | "The Palestinian leadership strongly rejects and condemns the American-Bahraini-Israeli tripartite declaration on the normalization of relations between the occupying state of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain," the Palestinian Authority said in a statement. | The statement called the move "a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause". | The statement added that Bahrain's step blows up the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of Arab and Islamic summits. | The Palestinian groups, including…

yenisafak (2020-09-12). Netanyahu welcomes normalization with Bahrain. yenisafak.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday welcomed US President Donald Trump's annoucement of reaching a normalization deal between Israel and Bahrain. | In a news conference broadcast by the Israeli KAN TV, Netanyahu said that it took Israel 29 days to reach the agreement with Bahrain.Netanyahu also confirmed that other Arab countries will establish ties with Israel. "It is a new phase of peace," he added. | The Bahraini official news agency said that during a phone call between Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Trump both sides agreed to establish full diplomatic ties between Tel Aviv and Ma…

yenisafak (2020-09-12). Egypt's al-Sisi hails Bahrain, Israel normalization. yenisafak.com Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Friday said he considered the normalization agreement between Israel and Bahrain a step toward peace in the region."I value this important step towards establishing stability and peace in the Middle East, and in a way that achieves a just and permanent settlement for the Palestinian cause," al-Sisi tweeted thanking the parties involved in implementing this "historic step".Israel and Bahrain agreed to establish full diplomatic relations on Friday in a second breakthrough between Israel and its Arab neighbors after it normalized ties with the United Arab Emirates last mont…

Alan MacLeod (2020-09-11). Why is the US Government Using Stolen Cash To Pay Doctors in Venezuela? thealtworld.com The US government is using cash stolen from the Venezuelan government as part of a hearts and minds campaign on behalf of opposition figure Juan Guaidó. | MPN— Venezuelan doctors currently fighting COVID-19 are receiving funding from an unlikely source: U.S. backed coup leader Juan Guaidó. Health workers, who sometimes earn less than $20 per month, are receiving $100 dollars monthly from the self-declared president of Venezuela. Where is Guaidó getting all this money from? The U.S. government, who, in turn, is using the billions of dollars it has confiscated from Venezuela to fund his latest political stunt.

teleSUR (2020-09-11). Greenpeace Displays Giant Banner Against Amazon Deforestation. telesurenglish.net Greenpeace unfolded a giant banner at the headquarters of the European Commission (EC) in Brussels to denounce the deforestation of the Amazon and criticize the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, which has not yet entered in force. | RELATED: |

Anya Parampil (2020-09-11). US govt & Democrat-tied troll farm boosts Bolivian coup regime, meddles in Mexico, Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with The Grayzone's Ben Norton about US troll farm CLS Strategies that boosted Bolivia's coup regime and sought to destabilize leftist Venezuelan and Mexican governments. Ben Norton joined Red Lines to discuss his recent piece, "U.S. govt-linked PR firm ran fake news networks for right-wing Latin American regimes." He …

Kim Petersen (2020-09-11). The Neverending Holocausts of the Neoliberal Order. dissidentvoice.org Biochemist, writer, humanitarian activist, and artist, Gideon Polya has had a selection of his essays gathered into a compendium titled US-Imposed Post-9/11 Muslim Holocaust & Muslim Genocide (Korsgaard Publishing, 2020). The compendium is important because it brings to the forefront, for anyone who cares an iota for peace and social justice, the horrible crimes of …

sputniknews (2020-09-11). Venezuela's Maduro Announces Capture of Alleged US Spy Planning Explosion. sputniknews.com Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Friday that a US spy who had been targeting the country's oil refineries for an attack has been captured.

RT (2020-09-11). Venezuela says it captured 'US spy' targeting two oil refineries with 'heavy, specialized' weapons. rt.com President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has announced the capture of "an American spy" with heavy weapons and money near two refineries in the state of Falcon. The man is said to be a Marine who worked for the CIA in Iraq.

CounterSpin (2020-09-11). Peter Maybarduk on Covid Treatments, Kia Rahnama on the Right to Protest. fair.org Media…

A Guest Author (2020-09-11). Remembering Frank 'Big Black' Smith. workers.org by Ida Robinson Ida Robinson is a co-founder with Families with a Future. She is an ex-prisoner, ex-fugitive and a current activist working with women and LGBTQ2S+ people. This is an edited version of her talk during the Aug. 29 WWP webinar, "Black Lives Matter: Justice for Peaceful Soledad Prisoners." . . . |

sputniknews (2020-09-11). Afghan Government Set to Begin Historic Peace Talks With Taliban on Saturday. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – After months of delays, the Afghan government and the Taliban will open "historic" peace talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Saturday, with the hope that the negotiations will bring the country's long-running conflict to a conclusion.

yenisafak (2020-09-11). Qatar set to host Afghan government-Taliban talks again. yenisafak.com Qatar is set to host another round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban on Saturday to end the ongoing war in the country.In a statement, the Afghan Presidency said negotiations with the Taliban would begin in Qatar's capital Doha.The Afghan delegation, headed by former chief of the intelligence service Masoom Stanikzai, includes 21 members from various political parties and groups.President of the Supreme Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, acting Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, Minister of State for Peace Affairs Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi and the president's Special Represent…

teleSUR (2020-09-11). Venezuela: Commission Announces Contingency Plan for Fuel Supply. telesurenglish.net The government entity denounced in a communiqué the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the government of the United States on the Venezuela people and economy, and especially the sanctions in the past two years on Venezuela's oil industry by U.S. President Donald Trump. | RELATED: | With the goal of suffocating the economy, Washington's punitive measures and actions against Venezuela, and particularly aga…

_____ (2020-09-11). 'Reducing Troops Not The Same As Ending Wars'. popularresistance.org The U.S. military's announcement Wednesday that thousands of troops will soon withdraw from Iraq was met with skepticism by peace activists, who were quick to note that a reduction in troop strength is not the same thing as ending the war. | U.S. Central Command (CETCOM) commander Gen. Frank McKenzie said Wednesday that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be reduced from 5,200 to 3,000 during the month of September, but critics said this should not be seen as President Donald Trump fulfilling his campaign promise in 2016 to end the nation's wasteful overseas wars.

teleSUR (2020-09-11). Colombia: Ex-FARC Combatant Assassinated in Antioquia. telesurenglish.net John Jairo Davila Aguirre, demobilized member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) and signer of the 2016 Peace Accords, was assassinated in the municipality of Remedios in the Colombian department of Antioquia. | RELATED: | Davila Aguirre, who led a productive project in his territory, had been kidnapped Thursday by non-identified individuals, presumably members of an illegal armed group,…

news.un (2020-09-11). Belarus: UN chief deeply concerned over use of force against peaceful protesters. news.un.org Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday expressed deep concern over the continued use of force against peaceful protestors in Belarus and detention of those exercising their legitimate democratic rights.

yenisafak (2020-09-11). China, India agree to disengage troops on contested border. yenisafak.com China and India said they had agreed to de-escalate renewed tensions on their contested Himalayan border and take steps to restore "peace and tranquillity" following a high-level diplomatic meeting in Moscow.Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met in Moscow on Thursday and reached a five-point consensus, including agreements the current border situation is not in their interests and that troops from both sides should quickly disengage and ease tensions, the two countries said in a joint statement.The consensus, struck on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation m…

yenisafak (2020-09-11). Israel, Bahrain fully normalize diplomatic relations. yenisafak.com The latest agreement was finalized during a telephone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, according to a joint US-Bahrain-Israel statement published on Twitter by US President Donald Trump.The statement hailed the agreement as a "historic breakthrough" that it said would further peace in the region."Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security and prosperity in the region," it said.Addressing reporters in the Oval…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-10). Venezuela launches Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among Peoples. peoplesdispatch.org The Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among Peoples was launched on September 6, with the presence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Institute was created to strengthen the international relations between Venezuela, Latin America and the world. The launch event was held virtually and broadcasted on YouTube through the institute's official account. Around 106 political and social leaders from across the globe joined the video conference. | International activists and intellectuals including Laura Capote, a Colombian activist and member of the ALBA Movements Secretariat, Vijay Prashad, exec…

Manuela Solé (2020-09-10). Venezuela Backs Bolivia's Morales and Ecuador's Correa Following Court Rulings. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government recently launched the Simon Bolivar International Institute to strengthen international solidarity.

_____ (2020-09-10). New: Simón Bolívar Institute For Peace And Solidarity Among Peoples. popularresistance.org Caracas, VZ – On Sunday, September 6, 205 years since the publication of the Jamaica Letter, the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among Peoples was inaugurated as a new space for the research, dissemination, debate, solidarity and strengthening of international relations. | The inauguration took place via YouTube on the Institute's Spanish and English channels. | "Our institute is formally inaugurated today, but the truth is that it already existed. The peoples have raised their voices in favor of Venezuela, and we at the same time have raised our voices for humankind's great causes," said the Pre…

Roger Harris (2020-09-10). The Current Impasse in Belarus and the Peace Alternative. counterpunch.org Back in the 1970s, the left and even many liberals were clear that Nixon's dropping napalm on Vietnamese villages was an abomination. By the 1990s, some thought Bill Clinton's bombing of Yugoslavia was, perhaps, humanitarian. Fast forward to the present, there is sentiment that the US has a global "responsibility to protect" the less enlightened

_____ (2020-09-10). Kevin Zeese: The Passing Of A Warrior For Peace And Justice. popularresistance.org Having met Kevin Zeese during the Occupy movement in September of 2011, by Merwin's metric we passed unknowing the day that had finally come for Kevin nine times. Nine times we, (Kevin, Margaret Flowers -his loving partner, and I) were engaged in the struggle in one way or another. Occupy DC, Occupy the EPA, Hands Up Don't Shoot, Justice Mondays at the Department of Justice to name a few and lastly only hours before his transition — the fight to stop the desecration of Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda, Maryland.

Reese Erlich (2020-09-10). Foreign Correspondent: Trump Plays Both Sides Against the Middle. progressive.org Is he a hawk? Is he a peacenik? The President keeps us guessing.

news.un (2020-09-10). Work to achieve a culture of peace amid COVID-19 upheaval: UN Secretary-General. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend economies and societies, while also threatening to erode trust in public institutions and democracy, it is critical that people everywhere continue to pursue peace.

Prof. Khalil al-Anani (2020-09-10). Israel-UAE Deal: The Emiratis Are Now Under Israel's Thumb. globalresearch.ca The "peace deal" between the UAE and Israel announced last month cannot be interpreted solely through the lens of normalisation; it is much more than that. What occurred on …

news.un (2020-09-10). Belarus: Ensure 'full respect' for workers' rights during protests, ILO urges President Lukashenko. news.un.org Voicing deep concern over detention and arrests of trade unionists in Belarus, the head of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) called on President Alexander Lukashenko to ensure a climate free from violence and intimidation against peacefully protesting workers.