Daily Archives: September 28, 2019

2019-09-28: News Headlines

RT (2019-09-28). NRA was a 'foreign asset' of Russia in 2016 election, claims report by Senate Democrats. rt.com Injecting new life into the 'Russiagate' conspiracy theory, Senate Democrats produced a report claiming that the largest US gun rights organization acted like a 'foreign asset' for the Kremlin and should lose tax-exempt status. | The 77-page document, published Friday by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), insinuates that the National Rifle Association (NRA) abused its tax-exempt status by working with the gun rights activist Maria Butina — branded a "Russian agent" &#150…

RT (2019-09-28). The cringe is strong with this one! NYT tries its hand at Trump memes, falls flat on face & gets MEMED in return. rt.com The New York Times tried its hand at a Star Wars meme to celebrate the launch of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump — and proved what conservatives have been saying for years: the Left can't meme. | "A long time coming for a White House far from reality," the clip reads, before launching into scrolling text designed to mimic the opening to the Star Wars films. Titled "Episode 45," the meme features two and a half minutes of every misdeed — real and imagined — committed by Trump during his presidency, heavy on the Russiagate conspiracy theorizing. | "The president has launche…

RT (2019-09-28). Trump told Russians their 'bad' meddling is the same as 'good' US meddling — WaPo's fresh Russiagate resurrection attempt. rt.com With the US president facing a Ukraine-linked impeachment probe, the Washington Post has delivered a fresh 'bombshell.' Not only does Trump think nothing of Russian interference in 2016, he even said as much to the Russians! | The newspaper of record found a new way to flog the dead horse of collusion, treating its readers to outrageous details about a "now-infamous" m…

The Canary (2019-09-28). Details of Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders 'often concealed'. thecanary.co The White House severely restricted distribution of memos detailing President Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, after embarrassing leaks of his conversations early in his tenure, a former White House official said. | The White House's handling of Mr Trump's calls with foreign leaders is at the heart of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. | A whistleblower alleges the White House tried to "lock down" Mr Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's new president because officials were worried about his request for help investigating h…

Jonathan Power (2019-09-27). A Dangerous Confrontation With Russia Over Kalingrad. counterpunch.org "What idiocy", exclaims Jack Matlock on Facebook. Matlock is one of my "Facebook Friends" because I judge his knowledge of Russia as second to none, having been under President Ronald Reagan the White House's senior advisor on the Soviet Union and, later, his ambassador to Moscow. The object of his ire is based on a Newsday More

Stephen Lendman (2019-09-27). US War on Russia by Other Means. globalresearch.ca The US under both militant wings of its war party is an unparalleled global menace. | For the first time in world history, one nation threatens everyone everywhere at home and abroad. It risks destruction of planet earth to own it, …

Stephen Lendman (2019-09-27). Longstanding US Electoral Dirty Tricks. Ukrainegate is a Russiagate Spinoff. globalresearch.ca Along with clear evidence of US meddling in scores of foreign elections, wanting ruling authorities serving its interests installed, the US political process was rife with fraud and other dirty tricks time and again since early in the 18th century. …

Andrew Korybko (2019-09-27). Ukraine's Federalization: Lavrov vs. Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Belarusian President Lukashenko are publicly at odds over the issue of Ukraine's federalizaton as a possible outcome of Kiev finally implementing the Minsk Accords in the event of the "New Detente" succeeding, with this serious …

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-09-27). Maduro Thinks Russia and Venezuela Can "Overcome Any Difficulties", but Is He Right? globalresearch.ca During a meeting with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro held on last Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia supports Venezuela's legitimate government against the continued U.S.-backed coup led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó. However, the Russian president also …

Jason Ditz (2019-09-27). US Troops, Tanks Headed to Lithuania for 'Extended Mission' Meant to 'Deter Russia'. theantimedia.com The deployment is being presented as part of a "larger, long-term US military involvement in Lithuania" meant to deter Russian aggression.

United Nations (2019-09-27). Unable to accept its decline, West subverts international law to suit its needs, Russia's Lavrov tells UN. un.org While crediting the United Nations for preventing 'World War III', the Foreign Minister of Russia lamented to the General Assembly on Friday that the number of conflicts on the planet has not declined, nor has enmity weakened.

Ed Sykes (2019-09-27). A war between nuclear powers India and Pakistan over Kashmir 'would have global consequences'. thecanary.co Pakistan's leader has denounced his Indian counterpart and warned that any war between the nuclear rivals over the occupied region of Kashmir could "have consequences for the world". In early August, Indian MPs passed a bill stripping statehood from the Indian-administered part of Kashmir amid an indefinite security lockdown. The government of neighbouring Pakistan immedia…

John Krzyzaniak (2019-09-27). Forty Years Ago, the Carter Administration Covered Up a Presumed Israeli Nuclear Test. globalresearch.ca On September 22, 1979, a US Vela satellite detected a "double flash" signal far off the coast of South Africa. It was the tell-tale sign of an atmospheric nuclear explosion: US Vela satellites, launched to help enforce the Partial Test …

Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-26). Venezuela: Trump Imposes Travel Ban, Putin Backs Dialogue. venezuelanalysis.com US officials and the Venezuelan opposition have also lobbied the EU to impose harsher sanctions against Caracas.

Olivia Alperstein (2019-09-26). Get Rid of Nuclear Weapons. progressive.org September 26 is International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Let's make this the year when we finally resolve to abolish nuclear weapons for good.

United Nations (2019-09-26). Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons: Israeli Foreign Minister. un.org The international community must join together to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the Foreign Minister of Israel told the UN General Assembly on Thursday evening.

Staff (2019-09-26). Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State. democracynow.org Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…

Staff (2019-09-26). "Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him. democracynow.org As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…

RT (2019-09-25). Trump impeachment proceedings based on 'nothing' phone call, but fallout will hurt America long-term. rt.com The transcript of President Donald Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart shows no pressure or threats to withhold aid. So why are Democrats and media still reading it that way, and invoking it as impeachment grounds? | For over two years, the Democrats pinned their hopes on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating the claims of "Russian collusion" and obstruction of justice in relation to it — only to come up empty-handed back in May. | Undeterred, the party pushed impeachment anyway, arguing that the report somehow showed obstruction of justice somewhere between the lines, and pr…

Aaron Maté (2019-09-24). Cracks emerge in NATO confrontation of Russia. thegrayzone.com Stephen F. Cohen argues that cracks are emerging within the NATO-led consensus that has pushed Moscow from the West. Guest: …

Joe Emersberger (2019-09-24). Reuters can't find U.S. critics to question Amazon's anti-Venezuela propaganda. mronline.org A line from the trailer for Jack Ryan, an Amazon TV drama whose second season streams on November 1, is: A nuclear Venezuela…. You will not hear about it on the news, 'cause we'll already be dead. | Source

Joshua Cho (2019-09-20). Media Omit Context Behind Latest North Korean Missile Tests. fair.org by Joshua Cho | In his 2004 book North Korea: Another Country, historian Bruce Cumings described the irony of corporate media's perpetual narrative of North Korea as an unhinged or devious adversary of the US with hostile nuclear ambitions: Almost always, media discussion of North Korea assumes that Washington is in a position of original innocence, and the North is assiduously trying to obtain and then to use "weapons of mass destruction"—the ubiquitous media trope for the arsenals of American enemies since the Cold War ended. Yet the American record in Northeast Asia since the 1940s is one of consistent us…

unitedEditor (2019-09-19). Challenges and Opportunities toward Iran in the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. uwidata.com Negotiations for the Caspian Sea legal regime began almost immediately after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, but at the beginning of the process there were no negotiations on a single text. Prior to that, Iran and the Soviet Union used this sea commonly, though in practice the Soviet Union, by using its power …

Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-12). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Decline as China Cancels More Shipments. venezuelanalysis.com Russian oil giant Rosneft blasted threats of US sanctions as "unfair competition."

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

2019-09-28: Social Media Postees

NRA was a 'foreign asset' of Russia in 2016 election, claims report by Senate Democrats
rt.com | 2019-09-28
Injecting new life into the 'Russiagate' conspiracy theory, Senate Democrats produced a report claiming that the largest US gun rights organization acted like a 'foreign asset' for the Kremlin and should lose tax-exempt status. | The 77-page document, published Friday by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), insinuates that the National Rifle Association (NRA) abused its tax-exempt status by working with the gun rights activist Maria Butina — branded a "Russian agent" &#150…
rt.com/usa/469798-nra-foreign-asset-russia-democrats/

The cringe is strong with this one! NYT tries its hand at Trump memes, falls flat on face & gets MEMED in return
rt.com | 2019-09-28
The New York Times tried its hand at a Star Wars meme to celebrate the launch of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump — and proved what conservatives have been saying for years: the Left can't meme. | "A long time coming for a White House far from reality," the clip reads, before launching into scrolling text designed to mimic the opening to the Star Wars films. Titled "Episode 45," the meme features two and a half minutes of every misdeed — real and imagined — committed by Trump during his presidency, heavy on the Russiagate conspiracy theorizing. | "The president has launche…
rt.com/usa/469799-times-meme-carpe-star-wars/

Trump told Russians their 'bad' meddling is the same as 'good' US meddling — WaPo's fresh Russiagate resurrection attempt
rt.com | 2019-09-28
With the US president facing a Ukraine-linked impeachment probe, the Washington Post has delivered a fresh 'bombshell.' Not only does Trump think nothing of Russian interference in 2016, he even said as much to the Russians! | The newspaper of record found a new way to flog the dead horse of collusion, treating its readers to outrageous details about a "now-infamous" m…
rt.com/usa/469831-trump-russia-meddling-shock/

Details of Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders 'often concealed'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-28
The White House severely restricted distribution of memos detailing President Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, after embarrassing leaks of his conversations early in his tenure, a former White House official said. | The White House's handling of Mr Trump's calls with foreign leaders is at the heart of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. | A whistleblower alleges the White House tried to "lock down" Mr Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's new president because officials were worried about his request for help investigating h…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/09/28/details-of-donald-trumps-calls-with-foreign-leaders-often-concealed/

US War on Russia by Other Means
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
The US under both militant wings of its war party is an unparalleled global menace. | For the first time in world history, one nation threatens everyone everywhere at home and abroad. It risks destruction of planet earth to own it, …
globalresearch.ca/us-war-russia/5690345

Longstanding US Electoral Dirty Tricks. Ukrainegate is a Russiagate Spinoff
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
Along with clear evidence of US meddling in scores of foreign elections, wanting ruling authorities serving its interests installed, the US political process was rife with fraud and other dirty tricks time and again since early in the 18th century. …
globalresearch.ca/longstanding-us-electoral-dirty-tricks-ukrainegate-is-a-russiagate-spinoff/5690347

Ukraine's Federalization: Lavrov vs. Lukashenko
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Belarusian President Lukashenko are publicly at odds over the issue of Ukraine's federalizaton as a possible outcome of Kiev finally implementing the Minsk Accords in the event of the "New Detente" succeeding, with this serious …
globalresearch.ca/ukraine-federalization-lavrov-lukashenko/5690362

US Troops, Tanks Headed to Lithuania for 'Extended Mission' Meant to 'Deter Russia'
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-09-27
The deployment is being presented as part of a "larger, long-term US military involvement in Lithuania" meant to deter Russian aggression.

US Troops, Tanks Headed to Lithuania for ‘Extended Mission’ Meant to 'Deter Russia'

Unable to accept its decline, West subverts international law to suit its needs, Russia's Lavrov tells UN
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-27
While crediting the United Nations for preventing 'World War III', the Foreign Minister of Russia lamented to the General Assembly on Friday that the number of conflicts on the planet has not declined, nor has enmity weakened.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047982

A Dangerous Confrontation With Russia Over Kalingrad
Jonathan Power | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
"What idiocy", exclaims Jack Matlock on Facebook. Matlock is one of my "Facebook Friends" because I judge his knowledge of Russia as second to none, having been under President Ronald Reagan the White House's senior advisor on the Soviet Union and, later, his ambassador to Moscow. The object of his ire is based on a Newsday…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/a-dangerous-confrontation-with-russia-over-kalingrad/

Maduro Thinks Russia and Venezuela Can "Overcome Any Difficulties", but Is He Right?
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
During a meeting with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro held on last Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia supports Venezuela's legitimate government against the continued U.S.-backed coup led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó. However, the Russian president also …
globalresearch.ca/maduro-thinks-russia-venezuela-overcome-any-difficulties/5690342

A war between nuclear powers India and Pakistan over Kashmir 'would have global consequences'
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2019-09-27
Pakistan's leader has denounced his Indian counterpart and warned that any war between the nuclear rivals over the occupied region of Kashmir could "have consequences for the world". In early August, Indian MPs passed a bill stripping statehood from the Indian-administered part of Kashmir amid an indefinite security lockdown. The government of neighbouring Pakistan immedia…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/09/27/a-war-between-nuclear-powers-india-and-pakistan-over-kashmir-would-have-global-consequences/

Forty Years Ago, the Carter Administration Covered Up a Presumed Israeli Nuclear Test
John Krzyzaniak | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
On September 22, 1979, a US Vela satellite detected a "double flash" signal far off the coast of South Africa. It was the tell-tale sign of an atmospheric nuclear explosion: US Vela satellites, launched to help enforce the Partial Test …
globalresearch.ca/forty-years-ago-carter-administration-covered-up-presumed-israeli-nuclear-test/5690367

Venezuela: Trump Imposes Travel Ban, Putin Backs Dialogue
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-09-26
US officials and the Venezuelan opposition have also lobbied the EU to impose harsher sanctions against Caracas.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14671

Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons: Israeli Foreign Minister
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-26
The international community must join together to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the Foreign Minister of Israel told the UN General Assembly on Thursday evening.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047812

Get Rid of Nuclear Weapons
Olivia Alperstein | progressive.org | 2019-09-26
September 26 is International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Let's make this the year when we finally resolve to abolish nuclear weapons for good.
progressive.org/op-eds/get-rid-of-nuclear-weapons-alperstein-190926/

"Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_memoir_permanent_record

Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_trump_whistleblower_impeachment

Trump impeachment proceedings based on 'nothing' phone call, but fallout will hurt America long-term
rt.com | 2019-09-25
The transcript of President Donald Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart shows no pressure or threats to withhold aid. So why are Democrats and media still reading it that way, and invoking it as impeachment grounds? | For over two years, the Democrats pinned their hopes on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating the claims of "Russian collusion" and obstruction of justice in relation to it — only to come up empty-handed back in May. | Undeterred, the party pushed impeachment anyway, arguing that the report somehow showed obstruction of justice somewhere between the lines, and pr…
rt.com/usa/469626-trump-impeachement-transctript-democrats/

Cracks emerge in NATO confrontation of Russia
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-09-24
Stephen F. Cohen argues that cracks are emerging within the NATO-led consensus that has pushed Moscow from the West. Guest: …
thegrayzone.com/2019/09/24/cracks-emerge-in-nato-confrontation-of-russia/

Reuters can't find U.S. critics to question Amazon's anti-Venezuela propaganda
Joe Emersberger | mronline.org | 2019-09-24
A line from the trailer for Jack Ryan, an Amazon TV drama whose second season streams on November 1, is: A nuclear Venezuela…. You will not hear about it on the news, 'cause we'll already be dead. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/09/24/reuters-cant-find-u-s-critics-to-question-amazons-anti-venezuela-propaganda/

Media Omit Context Behind Latest North Korean Missile Tests
Joshua Cho | fair.org | 2019-09-20
by Joshua Cho | In his 2004 book North Korea: Another Country, historian Bruce Cumings described the irony of corporate media's perpetual narrative of North Korea as an unhinged or devious adversary of the US with hostile nuclear ambitions: Almost always, media discussion of North Korea assumes that Washington is in a position of original innocence, and the North is assiduously trying to obtain and then to use "weapons of mass destruction"–the ubiquitous media trope for the arsenals of American enemies since the Cold War ended. Yet the American record in Northeast Asia since the 1940s is one of consistent us…
fair.org/home/media-omit-context-behind-latest-north-korean-missile-tests/

Challenges and Opportunities toward Iran in the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-09-19
Negotiations for the Caspian Sea legal regime began almost immediately after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, but at the beginning of the process there were no negotiations on a single text. Prior to that, Iran and the Soviet Union used this sea commonly, though in practice the Soviet Union, by using its power …
uwidata.com/5358-challenges-and-opportunities-toward-iran-in-the-convention-on-the-legal-status-of-the-caspian-sea/

Venezuela Oil Production Continues Decline as China Cancels More Shipments
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-09-12
Russian oil giant Rosneft blasted threats of US sanctions as "unfair competition."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14654