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Fri, 05 Nov 2021
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Damning report exposes Britain's 'central & widespread' role in CIA torture program

MI6 headquarters guantanomo protest gitmo
© Reuters / Toby Melville ; Global Look Press / Peter Marshall
(Main) MI6 building in London (Botton right) Guantanamo protesters in London
Britain played a "central" role in the rendition, secret detention, and torture of prisoners by the CIA in the "War on Terror," a journalistic inquiry claims.

Compiled by the Rendition Project and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the 400-page paper, entitled CIA Torture Unredacted, dates back to July but has gone largely unreported since then.

The study's authors say they managed to deliver "the most detailed public account to date of the CIA torture program." Part of the account focused on the UK's role in the disturbing practices which, it is claimed, was not insignificant.

Comment: MI6 and the CIA have been complicit in international criminality pretty much since the inception of both agencies. They operate as governments unto themselves.


Bullseye

China blames US meddling for Hong Kong protests, warns criminals not to "play with fire"

Hong Kong
© REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
A demonstrator throws a traffic cone at a group of people opposing the anti-government protesters, during a demonstration in support of the city-wide strike and to call for democratic reforms in Hong Kong, China, August 5, 2019.
Protesters in Hong Kong must not "play with fire" and mistake Beijing's restraint for weakness, China said on Tuesday in its sharpest rebuke yet of the "criminals" behind demonstrations in the city whom it vowed to bring to justice.

Hong Kong has suffered weeks of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law, which would have allowed suspects to be tried in mainland courts.

But the protests have swelled into a broader backlash against the government of the Asian financial hub, fueled by many residents' fear of eroding freedoms under the increasingly tight control of the Communist Party in Beijing.

Comment: For more on US involvement, see: US 'color revolution' and its struggles in Hong Kong.




Bad Guys

Saudi crown prince pursuing plan to target Turkey, weaken Erdogan: UAE document

Erdogan Saudi Crown Prince

Turkish President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are seen during the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 30, 2018.
A leaked UAE intelligence document shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been pursuing a "strategic plan" aimed at weakening the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has adopted a tough position against Riyadh over the state-sponsored assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Entitled "Monthly Report on Saudi Arabia, Issue 24, May 2019," the confidential document was written by the Emirates Policy Centre and obtained by the Middle East Eye news portal.

It revealed that bin Salman had decided to confront Turkey following the murder of Khashoggi — an outspoken critic of the heir to the Saudi throne — by a Saudi hit team inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2, 2018.

Camera

Guardian apologizes for fake news saying Sputnik posted fake Notre Dame photo vilifying Muslims

notre dame muslims
© Facebook / Sputnik
The Guardian has issued a mealy-mouthed apology for accusing Russian news agency Sputnik of doctoring images in the immediate aftermath of the Notre Dame fire to perpetuate an anti-Muslim narrative online - four months later.

"In an episode of Fake or for real? published on 19 April, we suggested that a photo that went viral during the Notre Dame fire had been doctored," the Guardian wrote in an Instagram story Monday. Instagram stories only have a shelf-life of 24 hours, but thankfully screenshots of the story exist.

"We have been contacted by the copyright owner of the photo, Sputnik France, and accept that it had not been doctored; we apologise for suggesting otherwise."

The four-months late apology refers to the Guardian's coverage of a photo from Sputnik France's Facebook live coverage of the April 15 Notre Dame fire.

Snakes in Suits

Iran's FM Zarif says he was sanctioned by US after refusing invite to White House

Zarif
© AP Photo / Richard Drew
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that he was sanctioned by the United States after refusing to visit the White House for talks earlier in July.

Zarif said in his twitter account that sanctions against him are an "example of US tactics" aimed towards "Iran's submission."

Sanctions against Zarif were announced by the Trump Administration last week. The Treasury Department said in a statement that it imposed sanctions on Zarif because he "acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The sanctions aim to freeze all of Zarif's US assets and prohibit any US person or entity from dealings with him.

Comment: Pepe Escobar commented that Zarif refused to attend the White House knowing that nothing would come from the meeting and that Iran was merely being used for a photo-op:


Star of David

Magnier: War no longer an option for Israel after failures in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen

lebanon war
During the summer war of 2006, Israel managed to destroy a large number of Hezbollah's rocket and missile stocks. Most Hezbollah missile units were destroyed and, in the suburb of the capital Beirut, over 250 buildings (mainly but not exclusively hosting Hezbollah offices, warehouses and officers' homes) were flattened by Israeli precision bombs targeting Hezbollah (and many civilians) in the suburbs of Beirut. Hundreds of houses were completely destroyed in the south of Lebanon. However, Israel was unable to fulfil its objectives due to the defeat of its infantry which faced harsh resistance and was unable to push deep inland. Moreover, the Kornet anti-tank laser-guided missiles and the "Nour" anti-ship missiles of Hezbollah surprised the enemy, indicating a serious lack of Israeli intelligence and confirming Hezbollah's strong fighting abilities.

Thirteen years later, the failure of US and Israeli policy in the region means it is no longer possible for Israel to contemplate a direct confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US and Israel failed to achieve four main goals: regime change in Syria, the partition of Iraq, the defeat of the Houthis in Yemen, the Palestinian "deal of the century". Added to this, Israeli-US rejection of any fair Palestinian state has strengthened Palestinian resolve against Israel.

Israel has increased its firepower and military capabilities, but Hezbollah also moved from being a tactical local organisation to becoming a strategic player in the Middle East. The group's superior fighting abilities have been enhanced by new military hardware. This has had the effect of rendering war in the Middle East unlikely any time in the near (or medium-term) future.

Comment: That's what one might call a mighty big miscalculation on behalf of the U.S.-Israeli alliance. Better yet, a series of miscalculations. Unfortunately, millions have had to die in the process. But if Magnier's analysis and prediction is true, it's at least a small victory. The economic war will continue, however. With any luck, there will be miscalculations on that front, too.


Info

Trump condemns 'racism, bigotry, white supremacy' after weekend shootings - proposes tighter gun control tied to immigration reform

Donald Trump
© AP Photo/ Susan Walsh
President Donald Trump condemned "racism, bigotry and white supremacy" in a televised address to the nation Monday after a devastating and bloody weekend left at least 30 people dead in two mass shootings in less than 24 hours.

"These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America," the president said from the White House. "Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul."

Just before the first attack in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday morning, the suspect — identified by police as a 21-year-old white man from the Dallas area — posted a diatribe against immigrants in Texas, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News. He also pushed talking points about preserving European identity in America.

The president did not specifically condemn anti-immigrant rhetoric on Monday, instead blaming violent video games and mental illness for the scourge of mass shootings that have been a steady drumbeat throughout his presidency. It is unclear if either of those factors played a role in the Texas shooting or the second attack early Sunday morning in Dayton, Ohio.

Trump also voiced support for stronger death penalty legislation for those who commit mass shootings, putting additional resources and new tools toward helping to identify early warning signs before shooters act, and reforming mental health laws.

"Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun," he said.

Comment: For more updates on the El Paso and Dayton shootings, see:


Arrow Down

Trade relations spiral downward as Washington formally designates China a currency manipulator

Trump China Trade War
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Donald Trump recently announced he would be setting a 10 percent tariff on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods after earlier imposing a 25 percent tax on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports.
The United States took the rare step on Monday of formally labeling China a currency manipulator, as trade relations between the two countries continued to spiral downward following President Donald Trump's decision last week to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods.

"In recent days, China has taken concrete steps to devalue its currency, while maintaining substantial foreign exchange reserves despite active use of such tools in the past," the Treasury Department said in a statement that followed the People's Bank of China's decision to let its currency, the renminbi, fall to the lowest level in more than a decade.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made the determination acting "under the auspices of President Trump," the department said. Mnuchin will now "engage with the International Monetary Fund to eliminate the unfair competitive advantage created by China's latest actions," it added.

Previous administrations have been loathe to label China a currency manipulator, arguing it was better to work with other countries to put diplomatic pressure on Beijing. The last time Treasury designated any country as a currency manipulator was in the early 1990s, when China was named.

Comment: With the trade war intensifying, a wave of panic has erupted in financial markets initiating a rush to safe-haven assets:

Global markets are in panic mode — sparking a wave of investment into gold, bonds and currencies


Hourglass

Rise and fall of superhero Robert Mueller

'Robert Mueller'
© DonkeyHotey
Caricature of Robert Mueller
The testimony of Robert Mueller should have marked the end of a national nightmare. Instead, a new legend was born.

The change came in the space of a single news cycle. Beginning before and ending after the congressional testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the depth of America's faith-based mania was laid bare. The Russiagate press managed to turn reality all the way around.

In the moment, while the event was being broadcast live, the assessment of the ex-FBI director's performance as a congressional witness was nearly unanimous. Mueller was a confused, vulnerable human being, not an indefatigable force.

"Very, very painful," said longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod.

"I don't know what the #Dems were expecting from #RobertMueller, but this probably isn't it," tweeted Howard Fineman.

"Mueller is struggling," former prosecutor and Mueller subordinate Glenn Kirchner commented during the event. "It strikes me as a health issue."

This was a monstrous indictment of media. The Special Counsel's inability to follow questions or remember key details (he was "not familiar" with oppo firm Fusion-GPS!) exploded two years of hype.

Comment: Well done and worth the read!


Blue Planet

Protectionism, there is an upside

Trump Xi
© Unknown
Chinese President Xi Jinping • US President Donald Trump
While everyone is bemoaning the US Administration raising tariffs on the 'usual suspects' and placing new tariffs on new players, like India, nobody's talking about the situation's upside or the upside's potential to grow over time.

We constantly hear the mainstream bang in our heads the importance of trade, international trade in particular - bilateral agreements being seen as out of fashion. But we rarely hear the domestic market being brought up at all. Aren't countries exposing themselves to numerous risks of varying degrees and different natures by allowing the unhindered flow of international capital to dictate their fate? Aren't we, the people at grassroots, tired of politicians apologizing to trans-national companies about how they can't give them sufficient tax breaks and other privileges in order to sway them to dismantle operations somewhere else and open them up here? Aren't we tired with corporations outsourcing every little thing? Aren't we tired of the narrow-minded focus on lowering costs while completely ignoring the necessity of giving people good jobs that pay big wages, from which workers can spend enough to secure better lives [without needing to use credit cards] while also allowing them to leave some money idle on their balance sheet for rainy days? [i.e. to postpone consumption into the future]. The home market is the most important of any nation, and for decades the prevailing orthodoxy is that capital knows best, that capital subservient to the Globalist outlook of world affairs.