Daily Archives: September 17, 2020

2020-09-17: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-17). The 'Israeli'-Emirati Alliance: Geopolitical Impact on Africa. globalresearch.ca The misleadingly described "peace" deal between "Israel" and the UAE will enable the self-professed "Jewish State" to use the latter's military and civilian port infrastructure in the Gulf of Aden, thus challenging recent Turkish inroads in this part of the …

_____ (2020-09-17). New Simón Bolívar Institute For Peace And Solidarity Among Peoples. popularresistance.org The founding of the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples on September 6, 2020 marks a new political milestone. In the most difficult of circumstances, having to cope with not only the U.S. and Canadian sanctions but the pandemic as well, the Bolivarian Revolution has made this effort for the benefit of all who believe in its liberatory ideals across the planet. The goal of the Institute is to coordinate global solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution and the Venezuelan people, and the solidarity of the South American nation toward struggles for social and economic justice of peoples thr…

Tony Cartalucci (2020-09-17). UN Report on Venezuela "Abuses" Written by Investigators Who Never Visited Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The Western media is touting the results of a so-called "Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" conducted through the United Nations. | AFP in an

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-09-17). No 'peace' without the Palestinians. thealtworld.com White House theatrics, Trump's delusions and Gulf regime collusion cannot 'end' the Arab-Israeli conflict | The missiles fired at Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip while the UAE and Bahraini foreign ministers were signing 'peace treaties' with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House were an affirmation: these agreements are worthless, and the only people capable of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, by peace or by war, are the people of Palestine — with the backing of their Arab and Muslim brothers and sisters and supporters of justice worldwide. | President Donald Trump, who oversaw the theatrics in the…

Eds. (2020-09-17). The strategic aspects of the Great AgroVenezuela Mission. mronline.org The Great AgroVenezuela Mission was born on January 25, 2011 under the leadership of President Hugo Chávez, and was launched from the Agricultural Social Property Unit "La Productora" in the municipality of Ospino in the state of Portuguesa, with the aim of promoting food security and sovereignty in the country.

Fight Back (2020-09-17). Palestinians slam Arab regimes' 'normalization' with Zionist occupation. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On September 15, the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) held a press conference to reject the charade that was happening the same day in Washington, DC, where the Trump administration was holding a signing ceremony for a 'peace' arrangement between Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. | CJP represents all of the major Palestinian organizations in Chicago. They spoke against the Arab regimes' 'normalization' with the Zionist Israeli enemy. Solidarity activists with the American Friends Service Committee and the Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy and othe…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-17). Venezuelan Oil Production Continues Slump as Iran Steps Up Cooperation. venezuelanalysis.com A recent Iranian condensate shipment will boost oil blending operations.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-17). Libya's Government of National Accord to step down as peace negotiations likely to conclude soon. peoplesdispatch.org GNA prime minister Fayez Al-Sarraj said in a televised speech on September 16 that the UN-sponsored peace negotiations have succeeded in the rival sides entering a 'new preparatory phase'

yenisafak (2020-09-17). Turkey fights for justice as region demands it, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Critics of Turkish foreign policy should stop accusing Ankara and instead oppose the conditions in the region that make it necessary for Turkey to champion peace and justice, said the nation's president on Thursday."They say, 'Why is Turkey involved in Syria, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia?" Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a group of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial heads at party headquarters in the capital Ankara.But, he added, "If Turkey retreats, will Syria enjoy peace and freedom?…"If Turkey turns its back to what is happening in Libya,…

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-16). The US-Brokered Mideast 'Peace' Deals Aren't Really What They Seem. thealtworld.com The loud applause that followed the US-brokered Mideast "peace" deals between "Israel" on one hand and the UAE & Bahrain on the other is misplaced since there was never any real state of war between the "opposing" sides to begin with, but presenting these accords as a "breakthrough for peace" is meant to pressure those remaining countries that refuse to recognize the self-professed "Jewish State" by portraying them as "obstacles to peace" so that they too consider abandoning their principled support for Palestine in exchange for positive media coverage and other perks such as economic support. | There's No "Peace…

Staff (2020-09-16). Noura Erakat: Trump's Bahrain-UAE-Israel Deal Won't Advance Palestinian Peace & Will Up Repression. democracynow.org As the Trump administration celebrates deals establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we speak with Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Trump's "peace" agreements are a sham. "This is not about advancing any kind of meaningful, enduring peace, but instead about entrenching a geopolitical alliance that would otherwise increase oppression for people of the Middle East," says Erakat, assistant professor at Rutgers University and author of "Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine."

yenisafak (2020-09-16). Top Russian, Saudi diplomats discuss Yemeni conflict. yenisafak.com Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday discussed the conflict in Yemen with his Saudi counterpart over the phone.Lavrov agreed with Faisal bin Farhan on the need to support UN efforts for a cease-fire in the war-torn country, as well as to implement urgent humanitarian measures and launch a settlement process between the sides, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an online statement."Sergey Lavrov stressed that progress towards the establishment of long-awaited peace and stability in Yemen is possible only by taking into account the interests and concerns of all the leading political forces, religi…

yenisafak (2020-09-16). Maduro security forces committed crimes against humanity: UN. yenisafak.com Venezuelan security forces and allied groups have committed systematic human rights violations including killings and torture amounting to crimes against humanity, U.N. investigators said on Wednesday.Reasonable grounds existed to believe that President Nicolas Maduro and his interior and defence ministers ordered or contributed to the crimes documented in the report in order to silence opposition, they said.Most unlawful executions by state agents have not been prosecuted in Venezuela, where the rule of law and democratic institutions have broken down, they added.The U.N. fact-finding mission said other national…

Ali Harb (2020-09-16). UAE-Israel deal voices support for Trump's 'deal of the century'. middleeasteye.net UAE-Israel deal voices support for Trump's 'deal of the century' | The accord does not mention the two-state solution and makes no reference to the holy sites in Jerusalem, unlike the previous announcement | Wed, 09/16/2020 – 01: 57 | Palestinians had forcefully rejected Trump's plan to end the conflict, known as 'deal of the century' (AFP) | The normalisation agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel…

Daniel Renken (2020-09-16). Media narratives about China endanger world peace. peoplesworld.org In recent months, Americans have received a barrage of news on TV, social media, and even late-night talk shows discussing the "aggressive" actions of the People's Republic of China. Whether it's the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the Hong Kong protests, or accusations of religious discrimination and genocide, the presentations of the national …

Joe Sims (2020-09-16). I'm not voting for my favorite candidate this year. peoplesworld.org In 1968, I was persecuted for voting for civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory who ran for president as a write-in candidate of the Freedom and Peace Party. Well, actually I didn't vote for him, but I said I would in a straw poll conducted in my 5th-grade class. The teacher objected that Gregory …

RT (2020-09-16). Survey reveals most Russians prioritise high living standards & peace over status: Only 31% want their country to be a superpower. rt.com Barely more than a third (37%) of Russians think their country is still a superpower, and only 31% think it's important to have such a status. That's according to a new survey on the public's attitude to their place in the world.

RT (2020-09-16). UK PM Johnson doesn't believe EU negotiating in good faith over Brexit trade deal, 'perhaps they'll prove me wrong'. rt.com Boris Johnson has said he doesn't believe EU officials negotiating with the UK on a post-Brexit trade deal are acting in good faith. The talks have been rocked by a new UK bill which would breach the Withdrawal Agreement. | The prime minister described the proposed legislation on Wednesday as "belt and braces protection against extreme interpretations of the [Northern Ireland] protocol." Concerns over protections for the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland, are one of the main sticking points in objections to the Internal Market Bill. | Amid concerns rebel Tories would scupper the bi…

yenisafak (2020-09-16). US congresswoman honored for helping Palestine. yenisafak.com A US congresswoman has been honored for defending the rights of Palestinians in the face of Israeli human rights abuses."Honored to receive the Champion of Palestinian Rights Award from @AMPalestine today as part of Palestine Advocacy Day," US Democratic Representative Betty McCollum said Tuesday on Twitter, referring to the group American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)."Advancing peace human rights for Palestinian children all children should be a shared priority! #HR2407."House of Representatives Resolution 2407 is the Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, a…

Manuela Solé and Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-16). Venezuela Looks to Renegotiate Debt Amidst US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com Caracas' previous debt restructuring attempts were unsuccessful.

WSWS (2020-09-16). Trump stages sham Mideast "peace" ceremony on White House lawn. wsws.org The overriding significance of the Israel-UAE-Bahrain accords is the further consolidation of a US-led anti-Iran axis in the Middle East.

news.un (2020-09-16). South Sudan: Progress on peace agreement 'limps along', UN envoy tells Security Council. news.un.org Although the transitional government in South Sudan continues to function, with state governors now appointed, among other developments, progress on the 2018 peace agreement "limps along", the top UN official in the country told a virtual meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday.

news.un (2020-09-16). Venezuela abuses amounted to crimes against humanity: UN-appointed panel. news.un.org Grave rights violations against anti-government protesters in Venezuela, "amounted to crimes against humanity", UN-appointed rights investigators said in their first report on abuses inside the Latin American nation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-16). Iran-Venezuela ties offering anti-unilateralism model: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 16 (MNA) — Stating that the hegemony of the US is over, Venezuela's Ambassador to Tehran told Mehr News Agency that the Iran-Venezuela relations are conveying a message to other countries that they can counter the unilateralism too.

Staff (2020-09-16). Trump's "Peace" Deals Will Worsen Oppression in Middle East, Legal Scholar Says. truthout.org As the Trump administration celebrates deals establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we speak with Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Trump's "peace" agreements are a sham. "This is not about advancing any kind of meaningful, enduring peace, but instead about entrenching a geopolitical alliance that would otherwise increase oppression for people of the Middle East," says Erakat, assistant professor at Rutgers University and auth…

Ted Snider (2020-09-16). Peace Plans That Have Nothing to Do With Peace. commondreams.org Protesters from multiple Palestinian rights organizations demonstrate outside the White House on September 15, 2020 in Washington, DC The groups gathered to protest the signing of the Abraham Accords that will normalize relations between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/peacedealprotest.jpg

teleSUR (2020-09-15). Venezuela Rejects US Hostilities Before UN Human Rights Council. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's representative before the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council Jorge Valero Tuesday rejected Donald Trump administration's unilateral coercive measures which violate the human rights of his compatriots. | RELATED: | He recalled that the United States has looted over US$ 30 billion from the Venezuelan people in the last 4 years. | "This is an amount that the Bolivarian government will no longer be abl…

RT (2020-09-15). Injuries reported after rockets fired from Gaza, as Bahrain & UAE sign peace deal with Tel Aviv at the White House. rt.com Multiple rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israeli cities during the UAE-Bahrain peace deal signing in Washington. Israeli anti-aircraft defenses have been activated, and at least six people were reportedly injured. | Rocket warning sirens were activated in southern Israeli cities late on Tuesday, as the ceremony to sign a US-brokered deal between Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and the UAE was underway in Washington. | The sirens were sounded in the coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod. Footage from the scene shows damaged vehicles and shattered glass at the site of the rocket impact. | From the scene of the rock…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-15). For Palestinians and Their Supporters, Arab-Israeli Pacts Are 'A Stab in The Back' Amid Ongoing Oppression. commondreams.org From the West Bank and Gaza to Washington, D.C. and beyond, Palestinians and their allies stress that only an end to Israel's illegal occupation can bring peace to the Middle East. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/demo.jpg

Staff (2020-09-15). Remembering Kevin Zeese: A fighter for peace and justice. therealnews.com Peace activist and human rights attorney Kevin Zeese died of a heart attack on the morning of September 6. As his life partner, Dr. Margaret Flowers, and their community grieve, they celebrate his life by carrying on the work that they began together. | Zeese was known for organizing around many human rights issues, centering opposition to U.S. imperialism abroad and mass incarceration at home. He brought national attention to

RT (2020-09-15). Bill Gates Senior, father of Microsoft's co-founder, dies at 94. rt.com Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has confirmed the passing of his father William Henry Gates Senior, at the age of 94. The elder Gates suffered from Alzheimer's disease. | Gates Senior "passed away peacefully at home…, surrounded by his family," his son His "wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world," Gates Junior added, noting his father's legal advice helped him and Paul Allen establish Microsoft, but also aided Howard Schultz with Sta…

_____ (2020-09-15). On Its 27th Anniversary: Defeat Oslo, Confront Normalization, Escalate BDS. popularresistance.org The agreement signed on the White House lawn and the famous handshake of Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat was falsely billed as a promise of peace and hope for Palestinians, denied both for decades upon decades, but was in reality a program for continued and intensified colonization and the suppression of the Palestinian liberation struggle. The entire project of Oslo was always intended to intensify the repression, division and fragmentation of the Palestinian people, while imposing a Palestinian "security" framework over the Palestinian people struggling for their rights, for return and liberation.

_____ (2020-09-15). Election Meddlers Find a Scapegoat. strategic-culture.org Big Tech, government agencies, and the mainstream media all locked in on a no-name site as a hub of collusion | Peter Van BUREN | Like me, until recently you got most of your news from Or maybe not. Maybe like nearly everyone on planet Earth you have no idea what I'm talking about and never looked at the now-defunct PeaceData site. Tha…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-15). Iran ready for any assistance to peace process in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 15 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran has voiced its readiness for any assistance to the peace process in neighboring Afghanistan.

sputniknews (2020-09-15). 'Brought Us to the Brink': Trump's Peacemaker Posturing Belies Global Deepening of US Militarism. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has postured as a peacemaker and ender of "endless wars," but one peace activist told Sputnik that Trump had greatly increased the risk of a major war around the globe by expanding US wars and undoing vital peace agreements – and his alternative on the November ballot isn't much better.

Staff (2020-09-14). Headlines for September 14, 2020. democracynow.org Historic Climate-Fueled Wildfires Kill 35 People, Burn 5 Million+ Acres Across West Coast, Trump Holds Packed Rally as U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Near 200,000 , ICE Flew Migrant Prisoners to Virginia, Fueling Outbreak, to Skirt Rules on Flying ICE Staff, WHO Says World Saw Biggest Daily Rise in Global Cases, Court Blocks Floridians with Unpaid Felony Conviction Fines from Voting, Trump Defends Police Killing of Portland Anti-Fascist Activist, Palestinians Decry Israeli Normalization Deals with UAE and Bahrain, Intra-Afghan Peace Talks Kick Off in Doha, Salvadoran Ex-Colonel Convicted for 1989 Murder of Jesuit Priest…

_____ (2020-09-14). US-Linked PR Firm Ran Fake News Networks For Right-Wing Latin American Regimes. popularresistance.org A major US PR firm located just a few blocks from the White House has been caught running an industrial grade propaganda operation on social media. The information warfare blitzkrieg relied on fake accounts and pages to spread disinformation on behalf of right-wing, US-backed governments in Latin America, while deploying covert propaganda to destabilize the leftist governments in Venezuela and Mexico. | The company behind the campaign, CLS Strategies, signed a contract to represent Bolivia's far-right junta and provide "strategic communications counsel" in the lead-up to that country's ostensible election.

Victor Grossman (2020-09-14). Tug-of-war in Germany between forces for peace and militarists. peoplesworld.org I'll never forget the day my father's ancient jalopy got stuck boarding the New York-Jersey City ferry; two wheels on the dock, two on the boat, the motor stalled, my father frantic, my mother scolding, cars behind us honking, and me, just 6, looking at the swirling waters below. Two muscular ferrymen finally pushed us …

Lee Ballinger (2020-09-14). Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South. counterpunch.org For years there was a long-running struggle in Charlottesville, Virginia, to remove a 26-foot-high statue of Robert E. Lee from a local park. On August 12, 2017, during a Unite the Right rally, clashes broke out between supporters of the statue, who marched under Confederate flags, and peaceful counter-protesters. During the rally, counter-protester Heather Heyer

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-14). Afghan Peace Talks Could be Trump's Final Major Foreign Policy Victory Before November's Elections. globalresearch.ca Talks between Afghan authorities and the Taliban, which began in Doha on Saturday with the goal of ensuring lasting peace in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of American and NATO troops after almost 19 years, were called historical by US Secretary …

news.un (2020-09-14). UN peacekeeping chief outlines reforms needed to keep operations fit-for-purpose. news.un.org Over the next 10 years, the world could well be transformed by potentially lethal new technologies, climate disruptions and disruption caused by expanding cities, the UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Monday, outlining the adaptations required to keep the Organization's flagship enterprise fit-for-purpose as it confronts daunting new security threats.

Telesur (2020-09-14). US Sabotage of Venezuela Economy. US Ex-Marine Caught Spying on Oil Refineries. globalresearch.ca 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. | Speaking on the twelfth anniversary of the youth wing of the United Socialist Party …

sputniknews (2020-09-14). Taliban, Afghan Government Begin Talks: Are They Really Negotiating for Peace? sputniknews.com On this edition of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk to Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, director of the Middle East Institute's Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, about the peace talks in Afghanistan.

Paul Dobson (2020-09-14). Venezuela Arrests 'CIA Spy' on Oil Refinery 'Stakeout'. venezuelanalysis.com Ex-marine Matthew John Heath, who served in Iraq, was arrested in possession of grenade launchers, satellite phones, and C4 explosives on Thursday.

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-09-14). UAE-Israel Deal: 'Peace-for-Protection'…? globalresearch.ca It was no surprise to hear US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declare at the weekend that the UAE and Israel have agreed to form a security and military alliance against Iran to 'protect' US interests and the Middle East …

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.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-14). Peace agreements signed between longstanding allies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Peace agreements' being signed are not between foes but longstanding allies.

sputniknews (2020-09-14). Chinese Military Labels US 'Destroyer of World Peace' in Rebuke to Pentagon Report. sputniknews.com The Chinese military has pushed back against a recent Pentagon report delivered to the US Congress, arguing that it is Washington – not Beijing – that poses a major threat to world peace.

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, …