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'Has regime change ever worked?' Carlson blasts supporters of Venezuela intervention

Zack Budryk
The Hill
Mon, 06 May 2019 09:59 UTC
Tucker Carlson
Fox News's Tucker Carlson lambasted supporters of U.S. intervention in Venezuela on Tuesday night, suggesting they "care more about Venezuela than they do this country."

"Would the overthrow of [President Nicolás] Maduro make Venezuela a more stable, prosperous country? More to the point, would it be good for the United States?" Carlson said, specifically pointing to calls for intervention from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). "Before the bombers take off, let's just answer a few quick questions, starting with the most obvious: When was the last time we successfully meddled in the political life of another country? Has it ever worked? How are those democracies we set up in Iraq and Libya and Syria and Afghanistan?"

Carlson further claimed sanctions against the South American nation hurt America's middle class by increasing gas prices. If pro-interventionists "are indeed good people, why do they seem to care more about Venezuela than they care about this country, the one they run?" he said.
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Bizarro Earth

Will the US ever be held accountable for its war crimes?

Jean Perier
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 05 May 2019 08:05 UTC
US warplane
For more than a decade, the United States has been steadily increasing the scale of its illegal military operations across the Middle East, resulting in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths.

Eighteen years ago, the US invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of ousting the Taliban who allegedly granted sanctuary to Al-Qaeda. According to a study released by Brown University, more than 140,000 Afghan militants and civilians have died in the fight.

Since December 2001, the United States has been conducting various operations in Somali, and even today the Pentagon carries out both air strikes and ground operations, accompanied by a constant toll of civilian lives.

Back in 2003, Washington launched Operation Iraq Freedom to strip Saddam Hussein of WMDs he didn't even have and to convert Iraq into a "democracy", plunging this country into a state of perpetual chaos guaranteeing that it will remain a Western bastion in the Arab and Islamic World for years to come.

Eight years ago, the US succeeded in destabilizing Libya, when US warplanes attacked the troops of Libya's most successful ruler to date - Muammar Gaddafi. Back then, Washington took every step to ensure his government would be ousted and and its key leaders murdered. The Libyan conflict has since produced tens of thousands of dead. In 2016, Barack Obama said that Libya was probably the "worst mistake" of his presidency.

Comment: See also:

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No Entry

"Facebook needs to be regulated": Conservatives call for government action on Facebook's bias


RT
Sat, 04 May 2019 08:17 UTC
facebook shadow people
© Reuters / Dado Ruvic
Facebook needs to be regulated as a "political actor" because of its censorship practices, Ben Harris-Quinney, chairman of think tank 'The Bow Group' told RT, accusing the Silicon Valley giant of curtailing free speech.

"If Facebook wants to be a political actor, then it needs to be regulated as a political actor or regulated at the same level as all other media outlets," Harris-Quinney said, stressing that the social media behemoth is "clearly putting itself on one side of the political debate."


Facebook banned Infowars, Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos and other prominent conservative voices such as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan from the social network, citing the firm's policies on "hate organizations."

"This is an absolute curtailment of the free speech because they're saying these individuals are dangerous. Well, many people, as myself, see them as perfectly reasonable actors in a political debate," said the chairman of the independent, UK-based think tank, which champions conservative opinions.

Comment: See also:

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Quenelle

'Not in violation of agreement': Tehran to carry on producing heavy water, enriching uranium


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 01:13 UTC
Bushehr
© Reuters/Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour
FILE PHOTO: Interior view of Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran
Tehran will continue its uranium enrichment despite US pressure, the Iranian parliament's speaker has said, as Washington imposed new sanctions related to the country's nuclear program.

"Under the [existing nuclear accord] Iran can produce heavy water and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore, we will carry on with enrichment activity," Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament speaker said on Saturday, as quoted by local news agencies. The official added that Washington's claim is only meant to serve as psychological warfare against Tehran.

On Friday the US State Department prohibited Iranian exports of heavy water and banned the country from "all proliferation-sensitive activities," including uranium enrichment. The restrictions were made as part of the "unprecedented maximum pressure campaign to address the full range of Iran's destructive activities," the statement read.

Comment: And the EU (amongst many other countries) is in agreement: EU vows to continue trade with Iran, denounces US decision not to extend waivers to purchase Tehran's crude

See also:

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Info

EU vows to continue trade with Iran, denounces US decision not to extend waivers to purchase Tehran's crude


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 16:04 UTC
Iran flag
© Reuters / Raheb Homavandi
A year after President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal, its European signatories, who still honor the agreement, have expressed concern over the US decision not to extend waivers on oil trade with Tehran.

"We ... take note with regret and concern of the decision by the United States not to extend waivers with regards to trade in oil with Iran," France, Germany, the UK and EU's representative said in a statement.

The trio said they remain "committed to working on the preservation and maintenance of financial channels and exports for Iran."

Comment: Is this just hot air or will the EU stand together and pursue their own interests despite US displeasure?

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Red Flag

'We still need more soldiers': Guaido admits the Venezuelan army is still loyal to Maduro


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 15:49 UTC
Nicolas Maduro
© Instagram / nicolasmaduro
The Venezuelan opposition had underestimated its support in the military, Juan Guaido has admitted after the failed coup attempt, adding that he'd welcome US-backed military intervention if Washington decides to pursue that path.

Guaido and his supporters suffered an embarrassing defeat on Tuesday after the US-backed politician called on the military and the opposition to rise up and oust President Nicolas Maduro from power. Despite the defection of a few dozen servicemen, the armed forces stayed loyal to the elected president and refused to capitulate to Guaido's calls. Following clashes in and around the capital, Maduro announced "defeat" of the coup plotters, forcing the opposition to retreat.

Comment: Lavrov set to meet with Venezuelan FM after failed coup attempt in Caracas, warns US against military option

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Info

Lavrov set to meet with Venezuelan FM after failed coup attempt in Caracas, warns US against military option


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 15:27 UTC
Sergey Lavrov and Jorge Arreaza
© REUTERS / Sultan Dosaliev; Denis Balibouse
The Venezuelan foreign minister is heading to Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The top diplomats are set to discuss recent developments after a failed coup attempt in Caracas.

The talks between Jorge Arreaza and Sergey Lavrov are expected to begin on Sunday after the Venezuelan minister arrives in Moscow. During the rare face-to-face discussion, they will seek a solution to the bitter political crisis that is crippling the Latin American nation, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Arreaza and Lavrov will also discuss "options for international mediation efforts to facilitate dialogue between the government and the opposition." Finally, their meeting will touch upon trade, investment and military cooperation.

Washington's "irresponsible" plan to overthrow the Caracas government by force would result in a catastrophe, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned, calling on the US to stick to the international law on Venezuela.

Comment: Can Russia bring sanity back into the Venezuelan situation?

Pompeo boasts 'Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful' as he and Bolton drum up invasion option after failed coup

Here is the joint briefing:



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Snakes in Suits

Pompeo boasts 'Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful' as he and Bolton drum up invasion option after failed coup


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 15:34 UTC
Mike Pompeo
© Reuters / Yuri Gripas
As Mike Pompeo prepares to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the crisis in Venezuela, the US secretary of state said bluntly that President Donald Trump has a "full range" of powers to intervene at will.

Speaking on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Pompeo elaborated on the oft-repeated line that "all options are on the table" when it comes to intervening militarily in Venezuela.

"The president has his full range of Article 2 authorities and I'm very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful," Pompeo stated when asked if President Trump could intervene in the country's power struggle without congressional approval. Article 2 of the US Constitution grants the president the right to declare war and act as commander in chief of the country's armed forces.

Comment: Hopefully Trump and Putin can rein in these two warmongers.

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Snakes in Suits

Nutty Pelosi fears Trump may borrow page from Democratic playbook by challenging 2020 election legitimacy


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 15:16 UTC
Nancy Pelosi
© Reuters / Yuri Gripas
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned her fellow Democrats that Donald Trump may question the legitimacy of the 2020 election if he loses by a slim margin - a cowardly political tactic not seen since the Democrats lost in 2016.

In an interview with the New York Times, the house speaker and de facto head of the Democratic Party envisioned a nightmare scenario in which Trump would attempt to "poison the public mind" instead of accepting a Democratic presidential victory in next year's election.

According to Pelosi, the solution to this terrible conundrum is for the Democrats to abandon all ideas of impeachment and nominate a moderate who won't rock the boat. Only then, Pelosi mused, will the Democrats be able to crush Trump by such a huge margin that he will never be able to fabricate salacious tales of foreign blackmail and be taken seriously.


Comment: Pelosi dials back impeachment talk while Democratic presidential candidates push it, Sen. Graham needles Dems on message conflict

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Stock Up

Pentagon admits US sanctions boosted Chinese investment in Russia


RT
Sun, 05 May 2019 15:11 UTC
The Forbidden City beside Tiananmen Square, Beijing
© AFP
The Forbidden City beside Tiananmen Square, Beijing.
The Russian economy has enjoyed increased Chinese investment as Western sanctions have pushed Beijing closer to Moscow, according to a report released by the US Department of Defense.

Despite the 136-page document dedicated to China's armed forces and Washington's concerns over Beijing's growing clout, including its economic strength, the US military did not forget to mention Russia, with which China partnered to "mitigate US pressure tactics." It also reminded that Moscow and Beijing often make a joint front against US propositions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as they both "share a preference for a multipolar world order."

"In the wake of Western sanctions against Russia, China has increased investment in Russia's economy," the Pentagon report states.
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