IG report exposes FBI, Congressional, and media deceit in Russia probe
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-16
A new report from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirms that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier — a…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/ig-report-exposes-fbi-congressional-and-media-deceit-in-russia-probe/
Lessons From Battling the Pentagon for Four Decades
William Hartung | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
In 2019, Pentagon spending is actually higher than it was at the peak of either the Korean or Vietnam conflicts and may soon be—adjusted for inflation—twice the Cold War average. (Photo: David B. Gleason/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pentagon_0_1_2.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/lessons-battling-pentagon-four-decades?cd-origin=rss
Russia keeps strengthening its position among international arms market leaders — Putin
rt.com | 2019-12-16
Despite attempts to stall Moscow with sanctions and unfair competition, Russian arms sales to foreign buyers are continuing to grow and reached $13 billion this year, President Vladimir Putin said. | The figure is more than $2 billion higher than in 2018, Putin announced during a meeting of Russia's Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States. | The overall portfolio of orders for Russian arms remains stable and has exceeded $50 billion, he added. | Russian positions in the global arms market are strengthening… despite the tightening of the sanctions regime and unfair competition. | "Unf…
rt.com/russia/476022-russia-arms-sales-putin/
US-Turkey relations at critical crossroads: what's behind Erdogan's threat to shutter Incirlik Air Base?
rt.com | 2019-12-16
When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close a vital airbase used by American forces, he wasn't bluffing, and Washington should take his threats at face value, or risk losing a NATO ally, analysts say. | The Turkish leader announced on Sunday that Incirlik Air Base – a vital hub for US and NATO forces stationed in the Middle East – could close its doors if US lawmakers press ahead with sanctioning Turkey for its acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. | Incirlik is not a backwater airstrip, the kind the United States utilizes for its drone missions in Africa, for example. I…
rt.com/news/476033-us-turkey-erdogan-airbase/
Kamaz races into the future with 'one-of-a-kind' AI-packed hybrid truck (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-16
Russia's top truck-maker Kamaz has unveiled its sci-fi-style haulage truck, expected to hit the roads in about five years. It says the vehicle provides unparalleled comfort for its driver, who gets a comfy cabin and AI assistance. | A lot of resources are being pumped by the state into the overhaul of its transport infrastructure and the Kamaz-54901 Continent seems like the fitting ride for Russia's newly-built highways and bridges. | | © YouTube / –ü–ê–û –ö–ê–ú–ê–ó | The 30-ton truck boasts a hybrid power un…
rt.com/russia/476031-kamaz-truck-future-russia/
Comey: 'Real Sloppiness' in Russia Probe but No Misconduct
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-15
WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey acknowledged Sunday that a Justice Department inspector general report identified "real sloppiness" in the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide and said he was wrong to have been "overconfident" about how the Russia investigation was handled. | But Comey also insisted he was right to feel some measure of vindication because the report did not find evidence for the most sensational of President Donald Trump's claims, including that he had been wiretapped and il…
truthdig.com/articles/comey-real-sloppiness-in-russia-probe-but-no-misconduct/
US Treasury chief applauds sanctions as ALTERNATIVE to military conflicts…but it hardly sits well with those sanctioned
rt.com | 2019-12-15
Sanctions imposed on some stubborn countries are a better option than military conflicts, Steve Mnuchin claimed, just as the US rolled out fresh penalties against Iran and EU firms helping build a German-Russian pipeline. | "The reason why we're using sanctions is because they are an important alternative for world military conflicts. And I believe it's worked," Mnuchin told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday. He singled out North Korea and I…
rt.com/news/475929-us-sanctions-military-conflicts/
'Where's my apology, Jim?' Trump taunts Comey after former FBI chief says sorry for 'sloppy' Russia investigation
rt.com | 2019-12-15
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to demand a personal apology from former FBI Director James Comey, after Comey apologized on TV for his (mis)handling of the 'Russiagate' probe. | "So now Comey's admitting he was wrong," Trump tweeted on Sunday. "Wow, but he's only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?" | So now Comey's admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he's only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long…
rt.com/usa/475966-trump-comey-apology-russiagate/
US tests INF-banned missile after Democrats rubber-stamp Trump's nuclear build-up
wsws.org | 2019-12-14
The test comes just days after congressional Democrats voted for a massive military spending bill that stripped out language limiting the development of dangerous new nuclear weapons.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/14/nucl-d14.html
Someone Interfered in the UK Election, and It Wasn't Russia
Caitlin Johnstone | theantimedia.com | 2019-12-13
Hardly anyone will care because this election interference has been happening right out in the open, and was perfectly legal.
The FBI: Another Worry in the National Security State
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-13
The Department of Justice's Inspector General report of the FBI's Russian investigation has fully exposed one more dangerous aspect of the steady abuses of national-security surveillance against U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. Edward Snowden's revelations in 2013 of the national security abuses of the National Security Agency exposed the massive surveillance of U.S. citizens in the expanded campaign against terrorism. Michael Horowitz, the inspector general of the DoJ, has highlighted the abuses of the FBI and the misuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court over an extended period. It will require a compreh…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/13/the-fbi-another-worry-in-the-national-security-state/
Pope Francis warns on nuclear weapons; official Italy silent
John Catalinotto | workers.org | 2019-12-12
Published in Il Manifesto on Nov. 26. Translation by John Catalinotto. Italy's politicians and corporate media, usually eloquent about any news concerning the Pope, greeted with the silence of the tomb the words pronounced by Francis on Nov. 24 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: "The use of atomic energy for war . . . | Continue reading Pope Francis warns on nuclear weapons; official Italy silent at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44873/
US tests ground-launched ballistic missile that would've been banned by INF treaty (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-12
The Pentagon has conducted a second test of a missile that would have been banned under the INF treaty with Russia, which the US abandoned earlier this year. A ground-based ballistic missile flew for over 500 kilometers. | The conventionally configured test missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Thursday, the US Department of Defense confirmed in a statement, giving no further details. | "Data collected and lessons learned from this test will inform the Department of Defense's development of future intermediate-range capabilities," the statement said. | Thursday's test follows…
rt.com/usa/475724-inf-treaty-banned-missile-test/
Jeremy Corbyn faces Russiagate smear campaign before UK vote
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-11
Jeremy Corbyn, a real progressive, could win UK's elections. Max Blumenthal joins Pushback to discuss how powerful forces are trying…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/11/jeremy-corbyn-faces-russiagate-smear-campaign-before-uk-vote/
Trump Impeachment: A Misguided Move?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-11
The Democrats claim their articles of impeachment against Trump are a solid case. The Nation and Grayzone contributor Aaron Maté argues that they are actually quite weak, and only serve corporate Democrats' interest in feeding Russiagate paranoia.
therealnews.com/stories/trump-impeachment-misguided-move
North Korea missile tests 'deeply troubling': senior UN official
news.un.org | 2019-12-11
Recent developments concerning North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes are "deeply troubling", the UN's Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific said on Wednesday, briefed the Security Council.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053281
On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Martin Fleck | progressive.org | 2019-12-09
A nuclear war would create one of the worst humanitarian crises imaginable, one for which no nation would have an adequate emergency or health response.
progressive.org/op-eds/human-rights-day-nuclear-weapons-fleck-191209/
Russiagate media smears against Corbyn brought to you by US and UK military-intelligence apparatus
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-08
Days before Britain's historic election, the UK's military-intelligence apparatus is turning to the corporate media and US government-funded NATO cut-outs…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/08/us-uk-military-intelligence-apparatus-destroy-jeremy-corbyn/
Hillary Casually Drops 'Russian Asset' Smear on Bernie Sanders in New Interview
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2019-12-06
Are we just going to ignore that Hillary Clinton, today, just implied that Bernie Sanders is also a Russian asset?>…
theantimedia.com/hillary-russian-asset-smear-bernie-sanders/