Daily Archives: February 16, 2022

2022-02-16: News Headlines

WSWS (2022-02-16). Biden's Russia speech: Hypocrisy, lies and warmongering. wsws.org On Tuesday, the day before the United States claimed Russia would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden gave a speech in which he doubled down on his threats of a "bloody, destructive war" despite the fact that no Russian invasion was forthcoming.

Fight Back (2022-02-16). No U.S. war with Russia, end U.S. intervention in Ukraine. fightbacknews.org Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is opposed to the Biden administration's war preparations against Russia and U.S. intervention in the Ukraine. We urge all progressives and revolutionaries to help organize, promote and participate in anti-war protests. We are against imperialist wars. | In recent years the Pentagon has ranked Russia as a "strategic competitor," making it one of the main targets of U.S. war plans. Currently the U.S. is sending mountains of weapons to the reactionary Ukrainian government, deploying more troops in Eastern Europe, and is making threat upon threat. The constant barrage of a…

_____ (2022-02-16). Pipeline Politics And The Ukraine crisis. popularresistance.org Amid escalating tensions between the United States, NATO and Russia, all eyes are on Ukraine. Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland describes it as "a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism." But Nord Stream 2, a pipeline built to bring Russian gas under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany, is an integral part of the story. | On January 27, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, asserted, "If Russia invades Ukraine one way or another … we will work with Germany to ensure it [the pipeline] does not move forward." Delayed by US threats and sanctions, Nord Stream 2 highlights…

sputniknews (2022-02-16). NATO Defence Ministers Arrive in Brussels for International Summit. sputniknews.com The ministerial meeting is being held after the US and the bloc delivered their answers to the Russian security guarantee proposals. The draft agreements offered by Moscow stipulate restrictions on troop and missile deployments as well as a halt to NATO's eastward expansion to de-escalate tensions.

TASS (2022-02-16). Russia intends to continue talks to prevent NATO's expansion — ambassador to Italy. tass.com Sergey Razov added that "predictions about war scenarios are overhyped deliberately and for a certain reason"

WSWS (2022-02-16). Turkey calls for mediation in Ukraine as US presses for war with Russia. wsws.org As NATO powers escalate their war drive against Russia in Ukraine, Ankara is calling for de-escalation and mediation between Moscow and Kiev.

WSWS (2022-02-16). Defend the Coventry bin workers from Labour's strike-breaking! wsws.org Starmer even took time out from his warmongering visit to NATO to endorse the clampdown by Coventry's Labour council, demonstrating that the wardrive against Russia will be accompanied by class war at home.

Staff (2022-02-16). Ukrainian Pacifist's Message to the World: U.S., NATO & Russia Share Responsibility to Avoid War. democracynow.org NATO officials have joined the U.S. and other Western nations in saying they have yet to see evidence that Russia is pulling back some troops near the shared border with Ukraine, as Russia claimed earlier this week. We speak with Yurii Sheliazhenko, executive secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, who says, "Both great powers of the West and the East share equal responsibility to avoid escalation of war in Ukraine and beyond Ukraine."…

sputniknews (2022-02-16). Researcher Warns Nordic Countries of Refugee Flow From 'Migrant Nation' Ukraine. sputniknews.com Over the past several months, the West and Kiev have accused Russia of a troop buildup near the Ukrainian border in preparation for an alleged "invasion" and "war". Moscow has swatted these allegations as baseless, while expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russia's borders, which it calls a threat to its national security.

Zahra Mirzafarjouyan (2022-02-16). Russia to do everything it can to avoid war with Ukraine. en.mehrnews.com Russia will do everything within its power to prevent a war with Ukraine, Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Wednesday.

United Against War, Militarism (2022-02-16). Wednesday 2/23: Roundtable Discussion: Ukraine Crisis. indybay.org On Zoom! Link: rb.gy/bxhzue…

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-16). Russia's Duma Asks Putin to Recognize Eastern Ukraine's Breakaway Republics. news.antiwar.com Russia's State Duma on Tuesday approved a resolution to ask President Vladimir Putin The resolution was put forward by the opposition Communist Party,

deweylaura (2022-02-16). A new war with Russia? Absolutely not! cpusa.org The following statement was issued by the CPUSA Peace and Solidarity Commission. For the last two months the Biden administration has been shouting, "The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!" in a bold attempt to stifle public anger against suffocating policies by government and private enterprise. The Biden administration has dismissed Russia's insistence …

TASS (2022-02-16). Biden, Macron discuss recent diplomatic contacts with Russia, Ukraine – White House. tass.com The US and French presidents reviewed their recent conversations with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, and affirmed their continued support for a diplomatic path forward…

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-16). Putin Says Russia Doesn't Want War, Ready to Continue Negotiations. news.antiwar.com On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin "We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track," Putin said in a press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. | Amid the heightened tensions over Ukraine, the US and Russia have maintained close contact. In response to Russia's security proposals, <...

Noam Chomsky (2022-02-16). Noam Chomsky: 'There are plausible regional settlements for Ukraine and China'. greenleft.org.au United States anti-war activist Professor Noam Chomsky said regional solutions exist for the two main confrontations today — Ukraine and China — but that the United States President is not interested.

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-16). Anonymous US Intelligence Officials Claim News Site Zero Hedge Is 'Amplifying' Russian Propaganda. news.antiwar.com In comments to The Associated Press, In response, Zero Hedge strongly denied the accusation and said the site tries "to publish a wide spectrum of views that cover both sides of a given story." Zero Hedge said it "has never worked, collaborated or cooperated with Russia, nor are there any links to spy agencies." | Ultimately, th…

Staff (2022-02-16). NZ protests swell, defying police ultimatum. rt.com Anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators have ignored a warning from the authorities to leave voluntarily | Hundreds of protesters defied a police ultimatum to leave the area around Wellington's 'Beehive' parliament on Wednesday, with the crowd continuing to swell. The authorities have described the ongoing demonstration as "orderly." | Inspired by the 'Freedom Convoy' in Canada, activists have blocked several roads in the capital with trucks, vans and motorcycles for nine days. Protesters have also been camping on the grounds outside the distinctive parliament building. | Had a bird's eye view of the protest in Wel…

Staff (2022-02-16). "45K People Died from Gun Violence on Your Watch": Parkland Survivors Demand More Action from Biden. democracynow.org Survivors and families of the victims of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, have launched a new online tool called the "Shock Market" to track the occurrence of U.S. gun violence. This comes as Manuel Oliver, the father of 17-year-old victim Joaquin "Guac" Oliver, was arrested during a peaceful protest demanding the Biden administration take action to curb gun violence. "Very little has changed since the last four years," says Oliver. We also speak with David Hogg, survivor of the Parkland school massacre and a founder and board member…

Kai Ehlers (2022-02-16). Constant State of Emergency. indybay.org The wars are waged by special forces, while the population is kept quiet in a permanent state of emergency under the slogan "war is peace" by full technical control, including mental and health surveillance. Anyone who questions this kind of peace is threatened with annihilation.

H. Scott Prosterman (2022-02-16). Jared Kushner's Sham "Abraham Accords" unleashed more ME Conflict, and don't Deserve a Nobel. juancole.com Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) — Jared Kushner's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, for authoring the Abraham Accords (along with his deputy Avi Berkowitz), is a sham. The Abraham Accords are not a comprehensive peace plan, but a self-serving scheme that sows the seeds of war for future generations. It is a series …

_____ (2022-02-16). The Persecution Of Alex Saab. popularresistance.org "It's not a crime to fulfill a diplomatic mission. It's not a crime to evade sanctions that are harming an entire country. It can't be illegal to help a people." Camilla Fabri Saab made these impassioned remarks when explaining the situation behind the illegal arrest and extradition – the kidnapping, in essence – of her husband, Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. | Alex Saab is virtually unknown in the United States, where he is currently languishing in a Miami prison, but he has been vital to Venezuela's ability to survive the brutal economic war being waged by the U.S. He is a political prisoner whose case has para…

_____ (2022-02-16). Valentines Day Vigil To Promote Aid To Afghanistan. popularresistance.org With the UN reporting that hunger in Afghanistan could kill more civilians than the 20-year Afghanistan war, an international debate is raging over the policy by the U.S. and other governments about getting aid to that country. The president just announced a plan to confiscate $7 Billion in Afghan funds and set aside half of it for families of 9/11 victims and to create a "third-party trust fund" to pay for humanitarian aid with the other half. Critics of the decision, including those who worked for the former U.S.-backed Afghan government, lambasted Biden's decision saying that the currency reserves belong to th…

sputniknews (2022-02-16). Powerful 6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Guatemala. sputniknews.com So far, there have been no official reports about any casualties from the tremor. No tsunami warning has been issued by authorities after the quake.

Global Research News (2022-02-16). Selected Articles: The COVID Mandates Are Leaving Europe. globalresearch.ca By Many of the European countries have announced that they will move forward treating Covid as just another endemic disease. Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the …

Fight Back (2022-02-16). FRSO members meeting set for Feb. 17. fightbacknews.org Grand Rapids, MI – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is hosting another online meeting for the growing numbers of members on Thursday, February 17 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. We will use Zoom to welcome our new members who joined since the last meeting on capitalism destroying the environment. | Tom Burke, the organizational secretary of the FRSO, will speak about the growth of the FRSO, the importance of union solidarity with the George Floyd rebellion, the recent uptick in strikes, and how we can lead the American working class toward revolution. | Emily Butt, a union steward, will speak on the victories of t…

Staff (2022-02-16). US housing bubble about to burst, leading economist warns. rt.com Higher interest rates could trigger collapse | The US real estate market could crash this year, leading economist Desmond Lachman predicted in an interview with Nikkei Asia on Tuesday. Adjusted for inflation, house prices in America are now higher than they were 15 years ago, before the last housing bust, he added. | Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former deputy director at the International Monetary Fund, explained that last year the US government was buying large quantities of bonds, which created an equity price bubble, and led to "equity valuations at levels only seen once…

William J. Astore (2022-02-16). America's Disastrous 60-Year War: Three Generations of Conspicuous Destruction by the Military-Industrial Complex. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — In my lifetime of nearly 60 years, America has waged five major wars, winning one decisively, then throwing that victory away, while losing the other four disastrously. Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as the Global War on Terror, were the losses, of course; the Cold War being the solitary win …

DLI (2022-02-16). Biden's promise, "America's Back!" is delivered–on Steroids! indybay.org On at least one big item, President Biden's campaign promise, "America's Back!" has been resoundingly delivered! 2 decades ago, the United States went to war based on an outrageous lie, that Saddam Hussein had WMDs(Weapons of Mass Destruction) that were ready to launch in 90 minutes on allies of the U.S. That gigantic lie had no credible evidence(and over 10 million citizens across the Globe protested in the streets agianst the impending but illegal invasion.) But the lie was delivered in such melodramatic tones that the "Corporate-bin-Laden" media bought it, line, rod and sinker). The MSM not only parroted the U…

WSWS (2022-02-16). Steinmeier, re-elected as German president, talks war. wsws.org The presidential election was not an expression of the "force of democracy." Rather, it revealed a ruling class which, confronting growing social and political opposition, is closing ranks.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2022-02-16). 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.

John Whitehead (2022-02-16). The New Domestic Terrorist: The Government's War on Thought Crimes and Truth-Tellers. mintpressnews.com This latest government salvo against consumers and spreaders of "mis- dis- and mal-information" widens the net to potentially include anyone who is exposed to ideas that run counter to the official government narrative.

Mark Weisbrot (2022-02-16). U.S. Sanctions on Afghanistan Could Be Deadlier Than 20 Years of War. fpif.org The collective punishment of Afghans is hideously wrong — and the Biden administration can ease it with the stroke of a pen.

Juan Cole (2022-02-16). "Niagara Falls becoming Horizontal:" NOAA warns of nearly 1 foot Sea Level Rise in 30 years, "Common" High Tide Floods. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The sea level along the US coastline in the lower 48 will rise as much in just the next 30 years as it had the century before our own moment (1920-2020), which is to say, nearly a foot or a third of a meter. That is the takeaway from the …

Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza (2022-02-16). Venezuela to Deepen Relations with Caribbean (+Petrocaribe). orinocotribune.com Caracas, February 15, 2022 ( During a farewell ceremony for the ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Andreas Wickham, President Maduro stressed the need to apply this strategy in order to deepen relations with th…

Staff (2022-02-16). Colombian President Duque in Desperation Mode, Begs EU to Pay for 'Venezuelan Migrants'. orinocotribune.com The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, asked the European Union (EU) to speed up the payment of donations to Colombia, supposedly destined to assisting Venezuelan migrants, although the majority of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia wonder where all these donations end up. This renewed plea occurred despite the fact that there are an increasing amount of Venezuelan migrants returning to Venezuela due to the terrible economic situation in Colombia, xenophobia, and concerns about their personal safety. This trend is also encouraged by the economic recovery in Venezuela. | "It is necessary to accelerate the disbursemen…

teleSUR, rp, JGN, SH (2022-02-16). Cinco canciones para celebrar al cantautor venezolano Alí Primera. telesurtv.net Este 16 de febrero se conmemoran los 37 años de la partida física del cantor popular venezolano Alí Primera, ocasión propicia para rendir homenaje a su legado cultural en América Latina.

Workers World Philadelphia bureau (2022-02-15). Groups unite to oppose new U.S. war. workers.org The antiwar rally opposing the U.S./NATO war drive against Russia brought together a broad spectrum of participants, even before the official rally started at Love Park in Center City Philadelphia Feb. 12. Protesters gather at Love Park in Philadelphia, Feb. 12. Credit: Joe Piette As Indigenous performers Kalpulli Kamaxtle Xiuhcóatl . . . |

C.J. Atkins (2022-02-15). Pipeline ploy: How U.S. natural gas interests are fueling the Ukraine crisis. peoplesworld.org Along with trying to militarily absorb Ukraine into NATO, another major factor that's becoming more apparent in the Biden administration's unceasing talk of war with Russia is the desire of U.S. energy producers to invade European markets with fracked natural gas. Though the mainstream press is saturated with talk of a forever-imminent Russian assault on …

Ramzy Baroud (2022-02-15). Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua: The US-Russia Conflict Enters a New Phase. orinocotribune.com By Ramzy Baroud — Feb 6, 2022 | As soon as Moscow received an American response to its security demands in Ukraine, it answered indirectly by Washington's response, on 26 January, to Russia's demands of withdrawing NATO forces from Eastern Europe and ending talks about a possible Kyiv membership in the US-led alliance, was noncommittal. | For its part…

Manlio Dinucci (2022-02-15). Blackwater is in Donbas with the Azov Battalion. orinocotribune.com By Manlio Dinucci — Feb 1, 2022 | The CIA and MI6 are reorganizing NATO stay-behind networks in Eastern Europe. If after the Second World War they relied on former Nazis to fight the Soviets, they still support neo-Nazi groups against the Russians. There is no obvious reason for this. The Nazis were omnipresent in the 1940s, but they are very few today and only exist thanks to the help of the Anglo-Saxons. | The phone call between President Biden and Ukrainian President Zelensky "did not go well," wrote CNN in its headlines. "Biden warned his Ukrainian counterpart that a Russian attack may be imminent, sayin…

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-15). Pentagon chief to visit troops in Poland, Lithuania after NATO war council. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Department of DefenseFebruary 14, 2022 Secretary Austin to Travel to Belgium, Poland, and Lithuania Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will depart on an overseas trip February 15 to meet with senior military and government leaders in Belgium, Poland, and Lithuania. In Belgium, Secretary Austin will meet with Allied defense ministers and NATO …

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-15). NATO chief confirms meeting of Nuclear Planning Group during tomorrow's war council. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Edited. Stoltenberg's press statements have a scatter-shot, free-association character to begin with, so what follows reflects the tone of the complete presentation. NATOFebruary 15, 2022 Pre-ministerial press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the meetings of NATO Defence Ministers Tomorrow NATO Defence Ministers will meet to address the most serious security crisis …

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-15). Europe on the verge of war: Polish prime minister. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The Polish prime minister seems far less concerned by a series of wars conducted by his nation and its NATO allies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Ones that Poland actively contributed to as well as to NATO operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia. Over 33,000 Polish troops served under NATO command in Afghanistan over …

Staff (2022-02-15). An Off-Ramp from War? Russia Says It Pulled Back Some Troops from Ukraine Border as Talks Continue. democracynow.org Russia has announced plans to pull back some troops from the Ukrainian border in a possible effort to deescalate the standoff over Ukraine but still intends to continue with military exercises in Belarus and the Black Sea. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on Monday the country may drop its bid to join NATO and the U.S. continues to urge U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine, warning a Russian invasion could come as soon as Wednesday. We speak with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink, who says the U.S. is continuing to escalate the crisis by directing U.S. funds to weapons and loans for U…

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-15). NATO warship, submarines, aircraft in Eastern Mediterranean patrol. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO Allied Maritime CommandFebruary 14, 2022 NATO'S OPERATION SEA GUARDIAN focused patrols conclude in Eastern Mediterranean The year's first focused patrol for NATO's Operations Sea Guardian concluded on Feb. 12. Flagship Turkish frigate TCG Barbaros, led the focused patrol between Jan. 25 and Feb.12. Submarines from Greece and Turkey supported the flagship as well as …

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-15). Digest of TASS articles on the Donbass. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com TASSFebruary 22, 2022 State Duma to send appeal to Russian president on recognizing Donetsk, Lugansk republics The State Duma approved a resolution at its session on Tuesday to forward to the Russian president a draft appeal by the lower house of Russia's parliament as proposed by the Communist faction on recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk …

John Wojcik (2022-02-15). Russian peace moves hailed by some, hit by war hawks. peoplesworld.org Even Wall Street reacted positively Tuesday morning to a series of peace moves made by Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, with the Dow making solid gains. Those opposed to peace, however, showed that they will stop at nothing, including sabotaging progress in the scramble to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis. The …

Editor (2022-02-15). U.S. needs Ukraine crisis to harm European economy, and legitimize its military presence. mronline.org The Chinese embassy in Ukraine released a notice on its WeChat public account Friday to urge Chinese nationals in Ukraine to "pay close attention to" changes in the local situation, as the U.S. and several other Western countries asked their nationals "to evacuate immediately" amid so-called warnings of an imminent invasion by Russia.

teleSUR (2022-02-15). Shuttle Diplomacy Continues to De-Escalate Ukraine Crisis. telesurenglish.net As tensions on the Ukrainian situation keep mounting, multiple countries have been engaged in shuttle diplomacy, trying to de-escalate the crisis. | RELATED: | German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kiev on Monday for a working visit. After their talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two parties discussed the peace process in and around Ukraine and the legal guarantees that would help to protect Ukraine. I…

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