Like Franklin Roosevelt, who tried to starve Japan into submission by halting its imports of oil, Trump seems intent on trying to bludgeon Iran into submission by preventing it from exporting any crude. The problem is that the Iranians aren’t cracking. Instead, they are likely to double-down. Already they are threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Trump will be in dire straits if Iran does that. A fifth of the world’s crude oil flows through it. The US military has positioned two carrier strike groups near Iran.
Daily Archives: 24. April 2019
US government spent over $500m on fake Al-Qaeda propaganda videos that tracked location of viewers
The Pentagon hired a UK-based PR firm to produce and disemminate videos during the Iraq War
Top Sri Lankan officials withheld intelligence on attacks -minister
He said information on possible suicide attacks on churches, hotels and politicians were received from Indian intelligence on April 4th and a Security Council meeting was chaired by president Maithripala Sirisena on April 7th, but the information was not shared more widely.
“Somebody is controlling these top intelligence officials,” the minister said. “The Security Council is doing politics. We need to investigate into this.”
I wasn’t aware of threat, says Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena
The information received from the State intelligence agencies was not passed on to him by relevant officials, said President Sirisena, who helms the Law and Order, and Defence ministries. “If they had done so, I would have taken immediate action.
Former CIA station chief on Sri Lanka deadly attacks: ‘This is by all accounts an intelligence failure’
“This is by all accounts an intelligence failure. Security services are responsible for penetrating local extremist groups, understanding their nexus to other overseas transnational groups and then collecting intelligence so they can pre-empt attacks and that didn‘t happen in this case and as a result we have almost 300 dead and 500 wounded,” said Hoffman, a Fox News contributor, on “America’s Newsroom” on Monday.
Facebook taps lawyer who helped write Patriot Act as new general counsel
Facebook has tapped a top State Department lawyer who was credited with helping to write the controversial 2001 Patriot Act as its new general counsel, beefing up its legal team as the company faces increasing regulatory and political pressure in the U.S. and around the world.
Facebook announced in a press release on Monday that Jennifer Newstead, currently the legal adviser to the State Department, will be taking over for the departing Colin Stretch.
Joe Biden is Obama without hope
He offers voters no change.
Tony Benn said what they‘re doing with the EU is creating an Empire. We should have no part of it. He was correct. Internationalism is the free association of free sovereign nations. The EU is everything we should oppose as anti imperialists, democrats, socialists.
This is WONDERFUL news! @Fox_Claire has supported AFB from the start and always stuck by us. She‘s also been a massive inspiration to all involved, as she cares deeply about art, culture, working people + democracy: what a great day it is for all who support #democracy + #Brexit!
Why as a lifelong leftie I‘ve joined Team Nigel: CLAIRE FOX explains her reasons for standing as a European election candidate in The Brexit Party
As a left-wing campaigner for 35 years, I’ve been arrested on picket lines, led anti-imperialist demonstrations and spoken at anti-deportation protests outside police stations. I’ve made speeches at street rallies, in prisons and universities and at pubs.
Yet yesterday, in an unexpected twist of events, I found myself sitting next to Nigel Farage, announcing my intention to stand as a candidate for his Brexit Party in the European elections on May 23.
Die neue proeuropäische Partei Change UK wirbt bei der Europawahl um die EU-Anhänger in Großbritannien. Aber sie steckt in einem Dilemma.
Change UK Chuck Another Candidate Over Grossly Offensive Tweets
Change UK have unceremoniously removed another candidate over grossly inappropriate social media posts.
ICE Faces Migrant Detention Crunch as Border Chaos Spills Into Interior of the Country
In one initiative examined earlier this year, Department of Homeland Security officials looked at housing migrant children at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which has a dormitory facility that has been used in the past to hold asylum seekers. The proposal to house migrant children from the Southwest border there has not gained traction, perhaps because of the optics of housing young people adjacent to terrorism suspects, according to one official who had seen the proposal but was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
US immigration officials looking at housing migrant children at Guantánamo Bay, report says
The New York Times reports that there are no “immediate” plans to actually bring children to Guantanamo Bay, and that the base has only been brought up as a potential housing location because it has dormitory facilities that have been used for asylum seekers in the past.
First Likely Marsquake Heard by NASA‘s InSight
This video and audio illustrates a seismic event detected by NASA‘s InSight on April 6, 2019, the 128th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Three distinct kinds of sounds can be heard, all of them detected as ground vibrations by the spacecraft‘s seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS): There‘s noise from Martian wind; the seismic event itself; and the spacecraft‘s robotic arm as it moves to take pictures.
We confirm Julian Assange has access to his lawyers, is now speaking with them regularly and will have an in person visit in the coming days.
Live: Funeral takes place for murdered journalist Lyra McKee | ITV News
In keeping with Ms McKee‘s values, her funeral is intended to be a cross-community, cross-border and multi-cultural service, and will take place in a Protestant cathedral despite Ms McKee being born a Catholic.
Rüstungslieferungen – Viertgrößter Waffenexporteur
Sevim Dagdelen warnte am Dienstag davor, dass auch Waffenlieferungen an Partnerstaaten ungewollt in Kriegsgebiete gelangen könnten, »da die Bundesregierung den Endverbleib bei EU- und NATO-Mitgliedern nicht kontrollieren kann und will«.
Uruguay fordert von Argentinien Akten zur Operation Condor
Speziell von der CIA ausgebildete Geheimdienstagenten und Soldaten durften sich auf dem Territorium der anderen Staaten frei bewegen, um politische Gegner, die ins Exil gegangen waren, zu entführen, verschwinden zu lassen und zu ermorden.
Auslieferung von Julian Assange an die USA: Es geht ums Ganze!
Nicht nur Assanges Leben steht auf dem Spiel ‒ auch der Fortbestand der Pressefreiheit und damit ein Grundpfeiler der Demokratie
Ex-Außenminister von Ecuador: „Präsident Moreno ist vom CIA angeworben worden“
Im Gespräch mit der spanischen Ausgabe des Senders Russia Today warf Patiño dem amtierenden Präsidenten vor, im Auftrag des US-amerikanischen Geheimdienstes CIA zu arbeiten. „Moreno ist ein professioneller Betrüger. Alles was er macht ist von der CIA erarbeitet worden. Er versucht alles zu beseitigen, was wir aufgebaut haben“, sagte er mit Blick auf die zehnjährige Politik der „Bürgerrevolution“ der Regierung von Ex-Präsident Rafael Correa. Patiños Meinung zufolge sei Moreno selbst gar nicht in der Lage, solch einen Plan zu entwickeln.
Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe To NDTV: „India Gave Us Intelligence, But There Was A Lapse“
„We have a good intelligence sharing system with India. It has been giving us the help we need. We also have got help from USA and UK. Our priority is to apprehend the terrorists. Until we do that, no one is safe,“ he said.
Indien: Chronologie von Modis Machenschaften
Ein Blick ins Detail zeigt die Unverfrorenheit und die Dimension, mit der Narendra Modi Großindustrielle unterstützt, während seine hinduistischen Anhänger zur Ablenkung Pakistan nacheifern
We had intel that could have stopped attacks – Sri Lanka PM
Mr Wickremesinghe said an investigation had been opened into why the intelligence never reached him and that the heads of defence would be replaced „within the next 24 hours“, with a complete restructuring of the police and security forces to follow „in the coming weeks“.
Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes
Stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death. Picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a sniper’s roost. Indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire.
Navy SEAL commandos from Team 7’s Alpha Platoon said they had seen their highly decorated platoon chief commit shocking acts in Iraq. And they had spoken up, repeatedly. But their frustration grew as months passed and they saw no sign of official action.
Golanhöhen: Neue Siedlung soll Trumps Namen tragen
Der israelische Regierungschef Netanyahu will eine neue Siedlung auf den Golanhöhen nach US-Präsident Trump benennen – aus Dankbarkeit. Trump hatte zuvor Israels Souveränität über das annektierte Gebiet anerkannt.
37 Enthauptungen und eine Kreuzigung in Saudi-Arabien
Innenministerium: Hingerichtete hatten sich „terroristisches, extremistisches Denken angeeignet“
Frankreich: „Autoritär agierende Polizei ohne Kontrollinstanz“
Vorgeworfen wird ihm unter anderem „Beleidigung einer Amtsperson“ sowie die „Teilnahme an einer Versammlung, die darauf aus ist, Gewalttaten zu begehen oder Schäden zu verursachen“ – nicht nur für Mediapart ist dies ein „schwerer Angriff auf die Informationsfreiheit“. Auch der in Frankreich bekannte Intellektuelle Geoffroy de Lagasnerie verurteilt das autoritäre Vorgehen der Polizei und betont die Notwendigkeit einer unabhängigen Presse.
Wenn die grössten Kapitalisten den Kapitalismus kritisieren
Eine andere Interpretation liefert in seiner heutigen Ausgabe das britische Finanzblatt «Financial Times» in einem längeren Bericht: In den Chefetagen der US-Wirtschaft wächst ganz generell die Angst vor einer zunehmenden Systemverdrossenheit und einem Erfolg von Politikern, die sich offen als sozialistisch bezeichnen; das gilt ganz besonders für die junge Senatorin Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Top Judges Panel Reduces Lula‘s Sentence to 8 Years
A Brazil special court of supreme judges ruled Tuesday to reduce the sentence of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from 12 years and 10 months to eight years and 10 months, which would potentially allow his defense to file for moving him to house arrest.
Kim‘s Armored Train Stops at Russian Khasan Railway Station – Report
The media also specified that Kim was accompanied by Kim Phyong Hae and O Su Yong, members of the Political Bureau and vice-chairmen of the WPK Central Committee, country‘s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People‘s Army Ri Yong Gil and other high-ranking officials.
Hyundai Merchant to launch new service linking S. Korea, Russia
Hyundai Merchant said two new regular services linking South Korea and Russia will start next month in cooperation with Russia‘s transportation giant FESCO.
Nordkoreas Machthaber bricht nach Russland auf
Es sei nicht geplant, im Anschluss an die Gespräche ein Papier zu unterzeichnen oder eine Erklärung bekannt zu geben. Eine gemeinsame Erklärung werde weder überprüft noch geplant, hieß es.
Kim wird voraussichtlich nach dem Gipfel einen oder zwei weitere Tage in Wladiwostok bleiben.
S. Korean delegation to leave for U.S. for talks on Iran oil sanctions: ministry
A group of South Korean officials will head to Washington this week for follow-up talks on a U.S. decision not to extend sanctions waivers for South Korea and seven other importers of Iranian oil.
N.K. leader departs for Russia by train for summit with Putin: state media
Kim‘s special train left for Russia earlier in the day, the Korean Central News Agency said. It did not specify from where it departed and where it is headed.
The Kremlin earlier said that the summit will be held in Russia‘s Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday.
Berufungsgericht wird Chelsea Manning nicht aus dem Gefängnis entlassen
Die Regierung wollte, dass Manning vor einer Grand Jury gegen WikiLeaks aussagt, um ein Verfahren gegen die Gruppe im Allgemeinen und gegen den Gründer Julian Assange im Besonderen aufzubauen.
The 1922 executive are meeting in a ‘secret location’ and that the meeting, which started at 7pm, could be going on for a bit longer yet. Also told that tenor of conversation pointing to no definitive conclusion tonight. Unsurprising given the exec split.
Senior Conservatives to vote on ousting Theresa May
Some 1922 Committee members want to change rules to allow second no-confidence vote