Daily Archives: December 17, 2019

2019-12-17: News Headlines

William D. Hartung (2019-12-17). How Our Defense Budget Became So Bloated. thenation.com | Defense spending is higher now than it was during the Korean or Vietnam conflicts and may soon be twice the Cold War average.

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-12-17). Bulgaria's Willingness to Host NATO Naval Center Is Aimed at Containing Russia in the Black Sea. globalresearch.ca In a joint statement between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the latter announced last Thursday that the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna is a willing new home of NATO's Naval Force Coordination …

South Front (2019-12-17). Video: Douma 'Chemical Attack' Narrative Collapses, Russia Trains New Militia in Hasakah. globalresearch.ca Russia has started creating a local force that will operate in northeastern Syria areas abandoned by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, several Syrian media outlets claim. | According to reports, the Russian military will train and equip a new pro-government militia …

Jenny Clegg (2019-12-17). The So-called "China Threat": NATO and America's "New Cold War" on China. globalresearch.ca The powers that be in the US are now viewing China as a deadly rival in a duel for global supremacy. Their aim at the summit was to draw their European allies into their China containment strategy. This was made …

Eric Zuesse (2019-12-17). Two Huge Suppressed News Reports Display Corrupt US and Allied Mainstream Press. globalresearch.ca On Friday, December 12th, Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept reported and documented that the mainstream U.S. press has lied through its teeth about "Russiagate," and Zero Hedge reported and documented that not only had the U.S., UK, and France, committed …

Nadezhda Azhgikhina (2019-12-17). Domestic Violence Is Russia's Shame. thenation.com Domestic Violence Is Russia's Shame…

RT (2019-12-17). Last-ditch attempt to stop Nord Stream 2: US Senate passes Pentagon budget that includes Russian pipeline sanctions. rt.com The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act just approved by the US Senate includes a bill sanctioning companies involved in building the almost-finished Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. | The "Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act of 2019" embedded in the 3,500 page NDAA was proposed by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), who argued the pipeline would "vastly strengthen President Vladimir Putin at the expense of the rest of the free world." | Penalizing the companies involved in installing the pipeline will "have protected Europe's energy security and…

RT (2019-12-17). World's end at their fingertips: Russian troops in charge of ground-launched ICBMs celebrate 60th anniversary. rt.com People tasked with keeping Russian ICBMs, some of the most potentially destructive things in the world, updated and ready to use, are marking their anniversary; the weapons have not been used in actual combat in over 60 years. | The Russian Strategic Missile Forces — also known as RVSN after their Russian abbreviation — have about two thirds of the nation's entire nuclear arsenal at their disposal. Spread around the country in silos and on truck-mountable containers are about 400 ICBMs, each with multiple nuclear warheads as their payload. It takes some 6,000 troops, constantly on combat duty, to man…

RT (2019-12-17). Russia's new REMOTE-CONTROLLED self-propelled artillery unit is shown in action for the first time (VIDEO). rt.com The 2S38 self-propelled gun can shower all types of enemies with explosive shells while having no crew inside its turret. The weapon is currently being tested for combat in freezing cold weather. | The cutting-edge artillery unit, also known as 'Derivatsiya,' features a fully automated turret which is operated remotely by the machine's three-man crew. While the 57mm gun is essentially an anti-aircraft piece, it's also able to strike land targets with high precision. | The versatile weapon is said to be capable of destroying almost any type of enemy targets: from piercing light-armored hardware with explosive s…

Aaron Maté (2019-12-16). IG report exposes FBI, Congressional, and media deceit in Russia probe. thegrayzone.com A new report from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirms that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier — a…

teleSUR (2019-12-16). Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases in Turkey. telesurenglish.net Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Sunday to shut down two strategic military bases used by the United States if Washington imposes sanctions on Turkey for buying the S-400 Russian missile system. | RELATED: | Turkey Stands Its Ground Against NATO Over Syria Dispute | "If necessary, we'll close Incirlik and also Kurecik," Erdogan said in a televised…

RT (2019-12-16). Trump's mean words harm our agency, says former FBI Director — just don't ask about our past! rt.com President Donald Trump's verbal attacks on the FBI are a "dire threat" to the rule of law in America, according to former FBI Director William Webster. But the agency has a scandal-rich history and needs more, not less, scrutiny. | Trump has referred to certain FBI officials as "scum" and former agency Director James Comey as a "slimeball." He's accused Comey of launching the 2016 'Russiagate' investigation against his campaign for nakedly partisan reasons, and his Attorney General, William Barr, has accused the agency of acting in "bad faith" in its handling of the 2016 probe. | This renewed attention on the…

RT (2019-12-16). What's scarier than racists and Russian trolls on Instagram? Why, 'Russian-influenced racist trolls,' of course! rt.com The mainstream media censors have hit a brick wall smearing their quarry as "racists" – the overused term no longer packs much of a punch. To really work up a good scare, they're calling the erstwhile racists "Russian-inspired." | The 2020 US election is just around the corner and social media is crawling with wrongthink, according to the Daily Beast. This time, it's not Russian trolls – it's worse. The Russian trolls' ideas have infected so-called "American neo-confederates" and created an unholy hybrid of racist Russian trolls who are unstoppable by the usual mass-deplatforming solutions used to wipe out ent…

RT (2019-12-15). 'Where's my apology, Jim?' Trump taunts Comey after former FBI chief says sorry for 'sloppy' Russia investigation. rt.com 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 (2019-12-15). US Treasury chief applauds sanctions as ALTERNATIVE to military conflicts…but it hardly sits well with those sanctioned. rt.com 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…

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-12-13). Someone Interfered in the UK Election, and It Wasn't Russia. theantimedia.com Hardly anyone will care because this election interference has been happening right out in the open, and was perfectly legal.

John Catalinotto (2019-12-12). Pope Francis warns on nuclear weapons; official Italy silent. workers.org 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

Staff (2019-12-11). Trump Impeachment: A Misguided Move? therealnews.com 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.

Aaron Maté (2019-12-11). Jeremy Corbyn faces Russiagate smear campaign before UK vote. thegrayzone.com Jeremy Corbyn, a real progressive, could win UK's elections. Max Blumenthal joins Pushback to discuss how powerful forces are trying…

news.un (2019-12-11). North Korea missile tests 'deeply troubling': senior UN official. news.un.org 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.

Staff (2019-12-11). Headlines for December 11, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Charge Trump with Two Articles of Impeachment, Trump Meets with Russian Foreign Minister, Who Denies Russia Meddled in 2016 Election, Democrats Agree with Trump on New NAFTA, Federal Judge Blocks Trump from Diverting Funds to Border Wall, Mass Protests Continue in France Against Macron's Pensions Plan, British Voters Head to the Polls Thursday, Protesters at COP25 Continue Demands for Urgent Action: "You Can't Drink Oil, Keep It in the Soil!", Thousands Protest Australian Government's Inaction as Smoke from Wildfires Blankets Sydney, At Least 6 Dead, 3 Missing, After Volcano Erupts in New Zealand, Ethio…

Martin Fleck (2019-12-09). On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons. progressive.org 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.

Activist Post (2019-11-12). Pompeo's Iran Nuclear Lies Exposed Using Clear Evidence & The JCPOA Document Itself. thelastamericanvagabond.com Mike Pompeo continues to lead the propaganda push to get the public panicking about an Iran "nuclear breakout" even when all evidence shows that Iran is nowhere near capable of being a nuclear threat. Of course many other countries have far more robust nuclear programs, but because it's Iran we have to come together as …

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

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 …

2019-12-17: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Bulgaria's Willingness to Host NATO Naval Center Is Aimed at Containing Russia in the Black Sea
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-17
In a joint statement between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the latter announced last Thursday that the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna is a willing new home of NATO's Naval Force Coordination …
globalresearch.ca/bulgaria-host-nato-naval-center-containing-russia-black-sea/5698034

Video: Douma 'Chemical Attack' Narrative Collapses, Russia Trains New Militia in Hasakah
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-17
Russia has started creating a local force that will operate in northeastern Syria areas abandoned by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, several Syrian media outlets claim. | According to reports, the Russian military will train and equip a new pro-government militia …
globalresearch.ca/video-douma-chemical-attack-narrative-collapses-russia-trains-new-militia-hasakah/5697974

How Our Defense Budget Became So Bloated
William D. Hartung | thenation.com | 2019-12-17
| Defense spending is higher now than it was during the Korean or Vietnam conflicts and may soon be twice the Cold War average.
thenation.com/article/pentagon-budget-william-hartung/

The So-called "China Threat": NATO and America's "New Cold War" on China
Jenny Clegg | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-17
The powers that be in the US are now viewing China as a deadly rival in a duel for global supremacy. Their aim at the summit was to draw their European allies into their China containment strategy. This was made …
globalresearch.ca/nato-us-new-cold-war-china/5698056

Two Huge Suppressed News Reports Display Corrupt US and Allied Mainstream Press
Eric Zuesse | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-17
On Friday, December 12th, Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept reported and documented that the mainstream U.S. press has lied through its teeth about "Russiagate," and Zero Hedge reported and documented that not only had the U.S., UK, and France, committed …
globalresearch.ca/two-huge-suppressed-news-reports-3-day-period-display-corrupt-u-s-allied-mainstream-press/5697970

Domestic Violence Is Russia's Shame
Nadezhda Azhgikhina | thenation.com | 2019-12-17
Domestic Violence Is Russia's Shame…
thenation.com/article/domestic-violence-russia/

Last-ditch attempt to stop Nord Stream 2: US Senate passes Pentagon budget that includes Russian pipeline sanctions
rt.com | 2019-12-17
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act just approved by the US Senate includes a bill sanctioning companies involved in building the almost-finished Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. | The "Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act of 2019" embedded in the 3,500 page NDAA was proposed by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), who argued the pipeline would "vastly strengthen President Vladimir Putin at the expense of the rest of the free world." | Penalizing the companies involved in installing the pipeline will "have protected Europe's energy security and…
rt.com/news/476129-us-defense-bill-nord-stream-sanctions/

World's end at their fingertips: Russian troops in charge of ground-launched ICBMs celebrate 60th anniversary
rt.com | 2019-12-17
People tasked with keeping Russian ICBMs, some of the most potentially destructive things in the world, updated and ready to use, are marking their anniversary; the weapons have not been used in actual combat in over 60 years. | The Russian Strategic Missile Forces — also known as RVSN after their Russian abbreviation — have about two thirds of the nation's entire nuclear arsenal at their disposal. Spread around the country in silos and on truck-mountable containers are about 400 ICBMs, each with multiple nuclear warheads as their payload. It takes some 6,000 troops, constantly on combat duty, to man…
rt.com/russia/476102-russian-nuclear-arms-anniversary/

Russia's new REMOTE-CONTROLLED self-propelled artillery unit is shown in action for the first time (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-17
The 2S38 self-propelled gun can shower all types of enemies with explosive shells while having no crew inside its turret. The weapon is currently being tested for combat in freezing cold weather. | The cutting-edge artillery unit, also known as 'Derivatsiya,' features a fully automated turret which is operated remotely by the machine's three-man crew. While the 57mm gun is essentially an anti-aircraft piece, it's also able to strike land targets with high precision. | The versatile weapon is said to be capable of destroying almost any type of enemy targets: from piercing light-armored hardware with explosive s…
rt.com/russia/476109-russian-remote-controlled-gun/

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/

Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases in Turkey
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Sunday to shut down two strategic military bases used by the United States if Washington imposes sanctions on Turkey for buying the S-400 Russian missile system. | RELATED: | Turkey Stands Its Ground Against NATO Over Syria Dispute | "If necessary, we'll close Incirlik and also Kurecik," Erdogan said in a televised…
telesurenglish.net/news/Erdogan-Threatens-to-Close-2-Us-Military-Bases-in-Turkey-20191216-0010.html

Trump's mean words harm our agency, says former FBI Director — just don't ask about our past!
rt.com | 2019-12-16
President Donald Trump's verbal attacks on the FBI are a "dire threat" to the rule of law in America, according to former FBI Director William Webster. But the agency has a scandal-rich history and needs more, not less, scrutiny. | Trump has referred to certain FBI officials as "scum" and former agency Director James Comey as a "slimeball." He's accused Comey of launching the 2016 'Russiagate' investigation against his campaign for nakedly partisan reasons, and his Attorney General, William Barr, has accused the agency of acting in "bad faith" in its handling of the 2016 probe. | This renewed attention on the…
rt.com/usa/476042-trump-attack-fbi-director/

What's scarier than racists and Russian trolls on Instagram? Why, 'Russian-influenced racist trolls,' of course!
rt.com | 2019-12-16
The mainstream media censors have hit a brick wall smearing their quarry as "racists" – the overused term no longer packs much of a punch. To really work up a good scare, they're calling the erstwhile racists "Russian-inspired." | The 2020 US election is just around the corner and social media is crawling with wrongthink, according to the Daily Beast. This time, it's not Russian trolls – it's worse. The Russian trolls' ideas have infected so-called "American neo-confederates" and created an unholy hybrid of racist Russian trolls who are unstoppable by the usual mass-deplatforming solutions used to wipe out ent…
rt.com/usa/476046-russian-influenced-racists-instagram-trolls/

'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 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/

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.

Someone Interfered in the UK Election, and It Wasn’t Russia

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/

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

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/

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/