(2022-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2022. democracynow.org NATO Defense Ministers Gather in Brussels, Dispute Russia's Claims of Troop Drawback, COVID-19 Pandemic Claimed 75,000 Lives Last Week, U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prepares to Roll Back Guidelines for COVID Restrictions, Hospitals in War-Ravaged Syria Forced to Close Amid Cuts in International Aid, U.N. Says 8 Million Yemenis Could Lose All Humanitarian Aid Next Month Due to Funding Shortages, Colombia Forced Displacement Crisis Worsened in 2021, Mexican Journalists Interrupt Congress to Demand Justice for Assassinated Colleagues, Amnesty International Condemns "Sham Trial" for Jailed Russi…
(2022-02-17). US and Russian Officials at Odds Over Status of Russian Troops Near Ukraine. news.antiwar.com On Wednesday, US and NATO officials said they saw no sign of a Russian pullback from areas near Ukraine after the Russian Defense Ministry announced troops were starting to leave the region. | "There's what Russia says and then there's what Russia does. And we haven't seen any pullback of its forces," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said he…
(2022-02-17). Moscow makes clear arguments to US response on security guarantees — Russian lawmaker. tass.com Leonid Slutsky reiterated his call to the US and NATO "to return to the implementation of measures in the field of peacekeeping, abandon the policy of containment and whipping up anti-Russian hysteria"
(2022-02-17). Libya Remains a Failed State 11 Years After NATO Intervention. telesurenglish.net February 17, 2011 marked the beginning of the "Libyan War," a conflict in which the United States and Western countries used the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a spearhead to dispute control of territories rich in oil reserves. | RELATED: | Similar to other occasions, the NATO intervention was justified by arguing the defense of freedom and democracy. In reality, however, the military o…
(2022-02-17). Ex-U.S. Ambassador to USSR: Ukraine Crisis Stems Directly from Post-Cold War Push to Expand NATO. democracynow.org 
U.S. officials are accusing Russia of sending more forces to the Ukrainian border just days after Moscow announced it was pulling some troops back. This comes as Ukrainian authorities and Russian-backed separatists are both accusing the other side of violating a ceasefire in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. For more on the history behind the present crisis in Ukraine, we speak with one of the last U.S. ambassadors to the Soviet Union prior to the collapse of the USSR, Ambassador Jack Matlock, who says the U.S.-led expansion of NATO following the end of the Cold War helped lay the groundwork for the current s…
(2022-02-17). NATO Chief Stoltenberg Holds Presser on Day 2 of Ministerial Meeting. sputniknews.com The summit of NATO defence ministers in Belgium is being held after the US and the bloc delivered their answers to Russia's security guarantee proposals. The draft agreements offered by Moscow suggested a halt to NATO's eastward expansion as a way to de-escalate tensions.
(2022-02-17). Zelensky, NATO nations' military observers inspect Ukrainian war games. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Azeri Press AgencyFebruary 16, 2022 Zelenskiy oversees drills in western Ukraine as NATO country observers look on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and military observers from NATO member states including Britain and Poland looked on as the country's armed forces carried out drills in western Ukraine on Wednesday, APA reports citing Reuters. Tanks fired shells and …
(2022-02-17). 2,000 U.S. troops, 600 pieces of equipment head to Slovakia for drills 190 miles from Ukraine border. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com ReutersFebruary 16, 2022 U.S. troops heading from Germany to Slovakia for planned NATO drills The first part of a planned contingent of 2,000 U.S. troops and hundreds of vehicles entered the Czech Republic from Germany on Tuesday en route eastwards to Slovakia for NATO's Saber Strike military drills…. Slovakia borders Ukraine to the east but …
(2022-02-17). US, NATO double down on war threats against Russia over Ukraine. wsws.org Even as Moscow released videos of its tanks leaving Crimea and Belarus after military exercises there, NATO said it would reinforce its troops and nuclear forces in Europe.
(2022-02-17). Russia likely to invade Ukraine after February 20 — media. rt.com 
Claims that February 16 was planned invasion date were unrealistic, analysts say | Failed predictions that Russia would invade Ukraine on February 16 were unrealistic, and the key date to focus on is actually February 20, American political analysts have claimed, blaming "hype" for having caused US officials to focus on the wrong date. | Earlier this month, numerous western media outlets claimed that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday, citing claims by anonymous officials that US President Joe Biden had warned members of the NATO bloc that an invasion was imminent. This date…
(2022-02-17). Zelensky: Ukraine Should Have Held Referendum on NATO Before Adding Membership Goal to Constitution. sputniknews.com Ukrainian plans to join the alliance have been a major bone of contention in the region, with Russia offering security guarantee proposals, suggesting that NATO refrain from expanding eastwards. The bloc, however, declared that it won't abandon its "open-door" policies.
(2022-02-17). UK makes new Russia allegation. rt.com 
The two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk have been ravaged by fierce fighting since 2014 | Reports of heavy shelling and explosions in war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine are merely Russian attempts to create a pretext for ordering an offensive against its neighbor, Britain's top diplomat has claimed, as Kiev and separatists blame each other for the attack. | On Thursday, leaders from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported that government troops had fired at several towns and villages using mortars, hand grenades, and rifles. | The Ukrainian Armed Forces subsequently disclosed that an area…
(2022-02-17). What Is Going to Happen in Ukraine? dissidentvoice.org 
People gather in Rome to call for peace, February 15, 2022 | Photo Credit: Reuters Every day brings new noise and fury in the crisis over Ukraine, mostly from Washington. But what is really likely to happen? There are three possible scenarios: The first is that Russia will suddenly launch an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. …
(2022-02-17). Wednesday 2/23: Roundtable Discussion: Ukraine Crisis. indybay.org On Zoom! Link: rb.gy/bxhzue…
(2022-02-17). Ukraine keeps arguing Minsk agreements are against its interests — Russian diplomat. tass.com "if the task of building peace on the domestic soil is among Ukraine's national interests, there should be no place for such claims," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said…
(2022-02-17). Moscow responds to US 'intelligence' on Russian invasion. rt.com 
The Foreign Ministry has previously claimed February 15 will be remembered as the day Western 'propaganda' failed | Attempts to work out when Russia might begin an invasion of Ukraine, despite the Kremlin's insistence that war isn't on the cards, only discredit Western intelligence agencies, Moscow has blasted as tensions continue to rise on the shared border between the two Eastern European nations. | In a series of comments issued on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova poured scorn on Washington's persistent announcements that an offensive is on the horizon. | According to her, Kiev, whic…
(2022-02-17). US warns of 'global fallout'. rt.com 
The world economy will pay a heavy price if the West imposes new sanctions on Moscow, the US Treasury warns | If Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine, the global economy will suffer an inevitable fallout as a result of newly unleashed Western sanctions on Moscow, the US Treasury secretary warned on Wednesday. | Speaking to French news agency AFP, Janet Yellen explained that the US and its European allies are preparing a "very substantial package of sanctions that will have severe consequences for the Russian economy." | However, despite Washington wanting the highest cost to fall on Moscow, she admitted that…
(2022-02-17). Kalashnikov Helps Boost Russia's Prestige on the International Stage. journal-neo.org 
Internationally, Russia has traditionally been seen as one of the leading suppliers of technology, especially in such areas as the arms and military hardware markets. Many countries, all over the world, purchase Russian-made military equipment, including anti-aircraft missile systems, fighter jets battleships, etc. But, globally, the most widely sold and well-known Russian weapon is the …
(2022-02-17). Some 20 Russian Warships of Caspian Flotilla Leave for Naval Exercises. sputniknews.com ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia (Sputnik) – Some 20 warships of the Caspian Flotilla have left their home basis in Russia's Dagestan for naval drills in the Caspian Sea, the Russian Southern Military District said on Thursday.
(2022-02-17). With Its Doomsday Clock at 100 Seconds to Midnight, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Calls for Escalating US Aggression Against Russia. orinocotribune.com By Roger D. Harris — Feb 14, 2022 | The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists emerged after World War II as a voice for peace by some of the scientists who developed the then ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Now, its mission has drifted into being an echo chamber for the US imperial project urging President Biden to take even more destabilizing actions against Russia. | Dropping the A-bombs | By the time that the scientists at the top-secret Manhattan Project had developed the atomic bomb and the US military had worked out the logistics for deploying it, World War II was for all intents and purposes over. By…
(2022-02-17). US, Russian Aircraft Flew 'Dangerously' Close Over the Mediterranean Sea. news.antiwar.com The Pentagon said Wednesday The Pentagon statement appeared to confirm media reports that said US and Russian aircraft flew "dangerously" close to each other in three separate incidents over the Mediterranean. Citing unnamed Pentagon officials,
(2022-02-17). Venezuela to expand military cooperation with Russia: Maduro. en.mehrnews.com Venezuela will expand cooperation with Russia in the military sphere to defend peace and its sovereignty, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday.
(2022-02-17). US Escorts Russian Bombers From East Syria Coalition Airspace. news.antiwar.com While the US and Russia are both largely focused on fighting ISIS in Syria, they still get tangled up in a lot of side arguments. This week, The US says Russia's bombers didn't give them advanced notice, so US fighters were dispatch to escort them away. The bombers reportedly ended up in Latakia. | The area is seldom used, with Russia not crossing the area since last May. US tensi…
(2022-02-17). The Western Allied Nations Bully the World While Warning of Threats From China and Russia. independentmediainstitute.org On January 21, 2022, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schà∂nbach attended a talk in New Delhi, India, organized by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. Schà∂nbach was speaking as the chief of Germany's navy during his visit to the institute. "What he really wants is respect," Schà∂nbach said, referring to Russia's President Vladimir Putin. …
(2022-02-17). Internationalist 360 Salutes Those Who Report the Facts and Speak the Truth. libya360.wordpress.com From #Ottawa with love. [On the ground in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Feb 16, 2022, close to midnight.]#FreedomConvoyCanada#freedomconvoy22 #TruckersForFreedom#ClassWar pic.twitter.com/OPVha3wa7p — Cory Morningstar (@elleprovocateur) February 17, 2022 Staying w/ Canadian Frontline Nurses. We share our shower w/ truckers/workers who sleep in trucks/cars. Last night I met Mike from Manitoba. He has a family back home. 2…
(2022-02-17). Western Democracies Have Mutated Into Propagandists for War and Conflict. independentmediainstitute.org Marshall McLuhan's prophecy that "the successor to politics will be propaganda" has happened. Raw propaganda is now the rule in Western democracies, especially the U.S. and Britain. On matters of war and peace, ministerial deceit is reported as news. Inconvenient facts are censored, demons are nurtured. The model is corporate spin, the currency of the …
(2022-02-17). OCLA Statement on the Government's Use of the Emergencies Act. dissidentvoice.org The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) condemns the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act (formerly the War Measures Act) to dispel peaceful protests in Canada. Peaceful protest and civil disobedience are essential in a democratic society — without these mechanisms of peaceful expression, demonstration, and opposition there can be no democracy. There is no …
(2022-02-17). Rallies call for Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan to be released. greenleft.org.au On the 23rd anniversary of the abduction and illegal arrest of Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan, current and former MPs and other prominent people have called for his release to advance a peaceful solution to conflicts in the Middle East. Peter Boyle reports.
(2022-02-17). Blinken's Asia-Pacific Tour: Fighting the War by Other Means. journal-neo.org 
Soon after releasing the new anti-China Indo-Pacific strategy, the US secretary of state Antony Blinken embarked upon a significant tour to countries in Asia and the Pacific to reassure these countries of the US commitment — and ability — to protect and defend them against an 'aggressive' China. Even though US officials have been saying, …
(2022-02-17). As US Renews Support for Saudi War in Yemen, Civilian Death Toll Nearly Doubles. mintpressnews.com 
"The civilian death toll in Yemen has almost doubled since the United Nations rights body dissolved its monitoring mechanism in the war-torn country." — Norwegian Refugee Council Report…
(2022-02-17). AOC warns failure to cancel student debt has 'demoralized' critical voters. mronline.org 
"This really isn't a conversation about providing relief to a small, niche group of people," said the congresswoman. "It's very much a keystone action politically." —AOC…
(2022-02-17). John Pilger: War in Europe and the Rise of Raw Propaganda. mintpressnews.com The war hysteria that has rolled in like a tidal wave in recent weeks and months is the most striking example. Known by its jargon, "shaping the narrative," much if not most of it is pure propaganda.
(2022-02-17). PG&E Awarded Safety Certificate After Causing Years of Environmental Catastrophes. indybay.org After serving a five-year criminal probation sentence for negligent practices that led to a fatal pipeline explosion in San Bruno in 2010, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has been awarded a safety certificate from the government of California.
(2022-02-17). Simple DNA Test May Make Breakthrough in Diagnosing Genetic and Neurological Diseases, Study Says. sputniknews.com Scientists say in some cases it is diagnosis and not the cure that plays a crucial role — patients can spend years suffering from certain symptoms and still be unaware of what ailment they have. The new method is expected to rectify this problem and help treat diseases in their early stages.
(2022-02-17). Bigger than bomb threats: The political violence of national oppression. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – Throughout the months of January and February, there were over 20 bomb threats directed towards historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Black churches, most of which were in the South. These concentrated actions over the last few months are a microcosm of the extensive history of racism and national oppression that Black people have faced within the United States, particularly its southern region. | In general, all Black communities within the United States face systemic racism. The evidence is in the economically depressed ghettos of every city (big and small), riddled with de…
(2022-02-17). The path toward an Official California Juneteenth Paid Holiday. indybay.org The legacy of "Chattel Slavery of people of African Descent" in California may originate in legendary battles with Queen Califia. Spanish Military led by Hernan Cortez, with ships full of Conquistadors including reinforcements of over 300 free and enslaved men of African Descent in 1535 began a new paradigm along western coast of the Pacific Ocean.
(2022-02-17). Ethiopia: Amnesty Accuses Tigrayan Forces of Rape & Murder in Latest Probe of War Crimes in Conflict. democracynow.org 
Amnesty International is accusing Tigrayan forces of deliberately killing dozens of unarmed civilians and gang-raping dozens of women and girls in the northern Amhara region of Ethiopia. This comes as the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebel forces remain at war, and just last year Amnesty similarly accused the Ethiopian government of subjecting Tigrayan women and girls to rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, sexual mutilation and other forms of torture. "These are deliberate attacks which constitute war crimes and possibly may also constitute crimes against humanity," says Amnesty's Donatella Ro…
(2022-02-17). 2022 California Juneteenth – American River Parkway – Introducing the California Gold Book. indybay.org In 1844, the Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., "African Founding Father of California," seized the opportunity and stipulated in his unique Mexican Land Grant, Rancho Rio De Los Americanos, not to interfere with the Indigenous population who remain the sacred stewards of the land.
(2022-02-17). Tomgram: Engelhardt, Unbanning Maus! warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. My Life with Maus Or How I Was Banned (Even If in a Second-Hand Way) by a Trumpian World By Tom Engelhardt Sometimes life has a way of making you realize things about yourself. Recently, I discovered that …
(2022-02-17). The war that must be waged is the war on COVID-19. wsws.org While no cost is too great for the American ruling elites to wage imperialist war, there has been a full-scale capitulation to COVID-19 during the Omicron surge.
(2022-02-17). Failure in Moscow: Liz Truss loses Britannia's Way. dissidentvoice.org Incompetent politicians and diplomats are on the level with ill-prepared generals fighting current wars with dated methods. They err, they stumble, and they may well be responsible for the next idiotic slander, misfire or misunderstanding. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is synonymous with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's idea of groping diplomacy. Graceless, all confusion, and …
(2022-02-17). 'Wear Hijab at Home If You Feel Unsafe': BJP MP Warns Against Wearing Muslim Headscarves in Public. sputniknews.com India is witnessing protests in the state of Karnataka after Muslim girls were banned from entering classrooms in hijabs.
(2022-02-17). Climate Warriors Get A New Weapon. dailyposter.com 
(2022-02-17). Why the US trade war on China has been an economic disaster for Americans. rt.com 
Trump hailed his 2020 deal with Beijing as "transformative" for the US. He was right — it's made ordinary US citizens much poorer | At the end of January, the US-China 'phase one' trade deal made under Donald Trump expired. The agreement, struck in January 2020 at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and before ties with Beijing fell off a cliff, stipulated that China would purchase (ludicrously) over $200 billion in agricultural products from the US per annum in order to end Trump's trade war. It was more like a one-sided extortion, placing huge demands on Beijing with very little compromise on t…
(2022-02-17). Leaked Audio Shows Amazon Official Threatening Workers Over Union Election – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – An Amazon union avoidance official threatened workers with minimum wage and warned that things might get worse if they unionize and enter negotiations with the company, Vice reported on Thursday, citing a leaked audio from an Amazon meeting that it obtained.
(2022-02-17). U.S. Sanctions on Afghanistan Could Be Deadlier Than 20 Years of War. juancole.com By Mark Weisbrot | — (Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Originally published in Inside Sources. Economic sanctions have, in recent years, become one of the most important tools of U.S. foreign policy. There are currently more than 20 countries subjected to various sanctions from the U.S. government. But if more Americans knew how many …
(2022-02-17). Alex Saab Defense: Venezuela Knew about DEA Meetings — Conflicting Lawyer Strategies. orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, February 16, 2022 ( The journalist, notorious for his US Department of State and US security apparatus connections, posted a "sealed" document from February 2021 by the US District Court from the Southern District of Florida, mentioning an alleged c…
(2022-02-17). Venezuela y Rusia potencian acuerdos estratégicos bilaterales. telesurtv.net El presidente Maduro precisó que el mapa de cooperación entre ambas naciones fue construido en aras de propiciar el desarrollo.
(2022-02-17). Venezuela rechaza la política de bloqueo de EE.UU. contra Cuba. telesurtv.net El Convenio Integral de Cooperación entre Venezuela y Cuba ha permitido fortalecer la cooperación en diversos sectores.
(2022-02-17). Venezuela: Thirty years since the seeds of the Bolivarian Revolution were planted. greenleft.org.au Hugo Chávez broke into Venezuela's political scene 30 years ago this month at the head of a civilian-military rebellion. Andreína Chávez Alava takes a look at the roots of the Bolivarian Revolution.