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Grim conditions in Iran's Evin prison revealed after hackers leak CCTV footage

iran prison
© The Justice of Ali via AP
In this undated frame grab taken from video shared with The Associated Press by a self-identified hacker group called "The Justice of Ali," a guard looks at surveillance screens taken over by the group, at Evin prison in Tehran, Iran. The alleged hackers said the release of the footage was an effort to show the grim conditions at the prison, known for holding political prisoners and those with ties abroad who are often used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. The caption on the screens reads in Farsi: "Cyberattack: Evin prison is a stain on (Iranian President Ebrahim) Raisi's black turban and white beard. General protest until the freedom of political prisoners."
The guard in a control room at Iran's notorious Evin prison springs to attention as one by one, monitors in front of him suddenly blink off and display something very different from the surveillance footage he had been watching.

"Cyberattack," the monitors flash. Other guards gather around, holding up their mobile phones and filming, or making urgent calls. "General protest until the freedom of political prisoners" reads another line on the screens.

An online account, purportedly by an entity describing itself as a group of hackers, shared footage of the incident, as well as parts of other surveillance video it seized, with The Associated Press. The alleged hackers said the release of the footage was an effort to show the grim conditions at the prison, known for holding political prisoners and those with ties abroad who are often used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Comment: Conditions in US prisons are not much better, in fact they are likely even worse; and at least Iran can claim that its country is under siege in the form of Western starvation sanctions, what's the US' excuse? Meanwhile Julian Assange's treatment in Britain's Belmarsh prison has been described as torture by a UN rep. So, whilst it is necessary to highlight Iran's failings, they're not exclusive to Iran. Which leads one to ask: why the hack and why the leak? Who was really behind it?

That the prison is already a target of sanctions, that the supposed hackers appear to be concerned with political prisoners who are also of interest to the West, and that surely Iranian hackers have more pressing grievances against their government, points to Israel and the US as the most obvious suspects. They also just so happen to be amongst the most skilled and equipped for cyberwarfare operations:


Megaphone

Bush-era war criminals are louder than ever because they've lost the argument

Blair
© ITV screenshot
Former British PM Tony Blair
After the US troop withdrawal established conclusively that the Afghan "government" they'd spent twenty years pretending to nation build with was essentially a work of fiction, thus proving to the world that they've been lying to us this entire time about the facts on the ground in Afghanistan, you might expect those who helped pave the way for that disastrous occupation to be very quiet at this point in history.

But, far from being silent and slithering under a rock to wait for the sweet embrace of death, these creatures have instead been loudly and shamelessly outspoken.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has posted a lengthy essay by the former Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom into two of the most unconscionable military interventions in living memory. Blair criticizes the withdrawal as having been done out of "obedience to an imbecilic political slogan about ending 'the forever wars'," bloviating about "Radical Islam," and asking, "has the West lost its strategic will?"

Comment: "The saner our society becomes..." but it isn't becoming more sane, and the divide is widening. But she's right. There won't be forgiveness nor a return to parity.


Calendar

Taliban will not allow Western forces to extend Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline

Marines
© Reuters
US Marines, 24th MEU search luggage at Hamid Karzai Intl. Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan
The Taliban will not extend an Aug. 31 deadline for Western forces to leave Afghanistan, two sources in the extremist group told Reuters on Monday.

A Taliban leadership official said the deadline would not be extended after President Joe Biden said US troops might stay longer to oversee a "hard and painful" evacuation.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge Biden this week to extend the evacuation deadline from Afghanistan, but even if one is agreed, the West will also need the approval of the Taliban, a British defense official said.

Panicked Afghans have clamored to board flights out of Kabul, fearing reprisals and a return to a harsh version of Islamic law that the Sunni Muslim group implemented when it held power.

Comment: A spokesman for the Taliban warned of "consequences" if evacuation operations continue beyond the end of the month:
Speaking to Sky News in Qatar, Dr Suhail Shaheen described the end-of-August date for the final withdrawal of US forces as a "red line" and said there was "no need" for any foreign military presence after that date.

Boris Johnson will personally lobby US President Joe Biden in a G7 summit on Tuesday to extend US operations in the hope of maximising numbers evacuated from Kabul airport. It is understood that cooperation of this kind has allowed the number of evacuees processed by the UK to rise from around 1,000 to 1,800 per day in recent days. Dr Shaheen told Sky:
"If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations - the answer is 'No'. Or there would be consequences. It will create mistrust between us. If they are intent on continuing the occupation it will provoke a reaction."
Approximately 1,800 UK nationals still in the country and more than 2,200 Afghans who helped British forces are the "focus" of the Government's evacuation efforts.

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on Mr Johnson not to "cut and run" from Afghanistan.
"I support calls to ensure that there isn't a cut-and-run operation in Afghanistan, that Nato countries are there and meeting their responsibilities for as long as is necessary. The world has a massive responsibility towards people in Afghanistan and it's really important that that responsibility is lived up to."
No 10 said it was recognised that it would be "extremely challenging" for eligible Afghans not in Kabul to get to the airport to evacuate. Those unable to leave during the current airlift would be encouraged to apply for resettlement later, either from Afghanistan or a neighbouring country.

Said the PM's spokesman:
"This is the first phase of our operation, evacuating largely British nationals and those under the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme out in the time that we have. We will then move to the next phase, whereby we'll be able to resettle (people) over the coming days, weeks and months, and indeed years, as we did with the Syrian scheme. Now I appreciate that ... presents challenges for those wishing to leave Afghanistan who might not be based in Kabul, who might have to get to neighbouring countries, for example. We will continue to provide support through the Foreign Office, there's contacts both for those within Afghanistan and those outside of Afghanistan who want information about family members they may have remaining. So, we will continue to do everything possible."
Defence secretary Ben Wallace made clear the British evacuation operation will end with the departure of US troops who are securing the airport:
"The Prime Minister is, obviously at the G7, going to try and raise the prospect of seeing if the United States will extend. It's really important for people to understand the United States have over 6,000 people in Kabul airport and when they withdraw that will take away the framework ... and we will have to go as well. I don't think there is any likelihood of staying on after the United States. If their timetable extends even by a day or two, that will give us a day or two more to evacuate people. Because we are really down to hours now, not weeks, and we have to make sure we exploit every minute to get people out."
The Brits are scrambling, hoping to influence Biden to push the deadline, keep boots in Kabul Airport:
British minister said the flow of people outside the airport had improved as a result of the Taliban's intervention, allowing the pace of the UK evacuation to increase. The Times reported on Sunday night that RAF had already extended its own evacuation deadline with more people, including Afghan politicians and humanitarian workers, eligible for evacuation.

James Heappey, the armed forces minister, said the Taliban
"were marshaling people into separate queues for the US evacuation and the UK evacuation, and that is making a big difference to the size of the crowds outside the UK gate and allowing us to process people much more quickly".
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the chief of the Taliban's guidance council, said:
"All Afghanistan is secure, but the airport which is managed by the Americans has anarchy. The US should not defame itself, should not embarrass itself to the world and should not give this mentality to our people that [the Taliban] are a kind of enemy."
Heappey said that the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab had "made representations" to his counterpart, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, on the issue. But the British had received no reassurances. Just over 1,900 people were evacuated as part of the RAF operation in the 24 hours to Sunday night, the largest one-day total, taking the overall figure to 5,725 since 12 August.

Biden did not name the UK on Sunday night when listing the countries whose leaders he had spoken to.

Other issues included whether there were discussions over Nato allies temporarily holding Kabul airport without US troops; whether NATO forces could ensure safe areas to provide airport access; and if there was scope for a UN operation to assist.

Lord Ricketts, a former national security adviser, said Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and his approach to handling the retreat was "a wake-up call to allies who had nourished hopes of a return to US internationalism".



Arrow Up

Ex-NSA head cheers for sending 'unvaxxed MAGA' Americans to Afghanistan, compares Trump supporters to Taliban

Person/officers
© Reuters/Mike Blake
Former CIA and NSA head Michael Hayden has applauded treating fans of ex-president Donald Trump as subhuman - or at least second-class citizens, cheering a suggestion they be thrown out of the country and compared to the Taliban.

On Sunday, Hayden retweeted a post suggesting sending "MAGA-wearing unvaxxed" Americans to Afghanistan rather than sending the evacuation planes "back empty" after they deposited those fleeing the Taliban elsewhere, calling it a "good idea."


Brick Wall

New Zealand's Covid-19 lockdown extended as outbreak tops 100 cases

Jacinda Ardern
© Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has extended New Zealand's strict nationwide Covid-19 lockdown saying the current outbreak of the Delta variant of the coronavirus had not yet peaked.

The level 4 national lockdown was extended by three days until midnight on August 27 while Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, will have restrictions in place at least until August 31.

"The safest option for all of us right now is to hold the course for longer," Ardern said at a news conference.

"If the world has taught us anything it is to be cautious with this variant of Covid-19," she added.

Ardern said contacts in the community by people infected with the Delta variant were reported all over the country.

There are more than 320 locations of interest linked to the outbreak and 13,000 contacts have been recorded, far more than in previous outbreaks.

Comment: Lockdowns for now, totalitarianism forever:


Dollar Gold

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb joins Pfizer's board of directors

Dr. Scott Gottlieb
© Astrid Stawiarz | CNBC
Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb speaking at the Healthy Returns conference in New York City on May 21, 2019.
Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner in April, will join Pfizer's board of directors, the company announced Thursday.

Gottlieb resigned from the FDA this spring after nearly two years at the helm. During his tenure, Gottlieb advanced a number of prescription drug policies, including to push the FDA to speed up generic drug approvals and use its powers to encourage wider use of biosimilars, or copycat versions of complex and often costly biologic drugs.

Biosimilar manufacturers, including Pfizer, have complained about roadblocks stalling biosimilars from becoming widely used. Having Gottlieb to advise the company could help Pfizer, one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies, navigate the landscape

Comment: This is just one example of why the FDA, WHO, CDC are collinear with the BigPharma criminals. They don't work to help people or to promote proper fact-based science and make better and more affordable drugs. They work together on their aggressive agenda to make money and gain power and control over people's lives.

We can now clearly see one of the reasons why they are still keeping alive the false Corona pandemic and aggressively pushing mandatory vaccination. They are business partners working and helping each other to fulfill their business plans.

See also:


Newspaper

Top New York Times, WaPo experts affiliated with Pentagon-funded CNAS think tank

Center For A New American Security
Watch Behind The Headlines correspondent Dan Cohen explain how top foreign policy reporters are linked to the U.S. government, weapons industry and oil corporations - the very forces they are supposed to hold accountable.

Imagine a country where there's no separation between the government, the military, and the media. A lot of Americans would think of China, Russia or North Korea, but it's a perfect description of the United States today. And here in Washington, the think tank inside this nondescript building - Center For A New American Security (CNAS) - is the clearest example of just that.

CNAS is a premier militarist think tank in the nation's capital, especially for Democratic Party administrations. It is funded by the State Department and Pentagon and has taken more money from weapons companies over the last several years than any other think tank. On top of that, it's funded by oil companies, big banks, and right wing governments - basically the most destructive forces on the planet.

For President Joe Biden, CNAS serves as a farm, from which key positions in his administration are cultivated. In fact, at least 16 CNAS alumni are now in key positions in the Biden Pentagon and State Department.

But what's most shocking is that several national security and foreign policy reporters from elite U.S. media outlets are affiliated with CNAS - and therefore indirectly affiliated with, and likely paid by, the U.S. government and corporations - the very forces that they should be holding accountable.


Question

Six questions we need to ask about Afghanistan

Taliban
© Unknown
Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan has "fallen", that's the line. The Taliban forces have taken the opportunity of US/NATO withdrawal and swept across the entire country, taking every major city within a week and with barely a shot fired.

Joe Biden is being blamed for his "lack of plan", even as Democrats try and shift the blame to Trump who first decided to pull the US out of Afghanistan over 18 months ago.

Meanwhile, the press are reporting dozens of stories about the humanitarian crises, refugees fleeing the new regime, the fate of women under the Taliban, and "shocking videos" of desperate people.

That's the official story. But what's really going on?

Comment: A refreshing, but actually more damaging look at current events and the tales being told.


Arrow Down

Austin says 'nobody predicted' Afghan government 'would fall in 11 days'

D.S.Austin/Passengers
© Defense One/US Dept.of Defense • Greg Nash/Getty Images/KJN
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin • Afghan citizens inside USAF transport
Hamid Karzai International Airport • Kabul, Afghanistan • August 15, 2021
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in an interview with host Martha Raddatz on ABC's This Week, one week after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan unleashing chaos in the region, that "nobody predicted" the Afghan government
"would fall in 11 days. It was very difficult to predict with accuracy. This all occurred in a span of about 11 days. Nobody predicted that, you know, the government would fall in 11 days."
Austin said assessments he reviewed prior to the insurgent group's takeover estimated it could be several months or one to two years before the Afghan government fell.


He told Raddatz that U.S. officials saw Afghan military forces surrendering and "just kind of evaporating" as the Taliban began to make gains.

Comment: Ah, sorry. You can only do the stuff the US predicts. Blinken, in this interview, does a pathetic job of back-peddling to cover Biden's derriere. The administration's spin-doctors need a raise.
Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on statements from President Biden that appear to contradict reporting surrounding the evacuation of Afghans and U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

Wallace pointed out that since the Taliban took Kabul, Biden has said there is no threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Wallace noted that reports from the United Nations have indicated that al Qaeda has a presence in at least 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Wallace also asked Blinken whether Biden is fully aware of what is occurring on the international front.




Clipboard

Biden confronted with poll showing majority no longer believe he is competent at job

Biden
© Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden was confronted by a reporter during a press conference on Sunday over a new CBS News poll that showed the majority of Americans no longer believe that he is competent in the job.

The poll comes after the administration has faced widespread criticism, as well as backlash at home and abroad over its disastrous pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. A reporter said to Biden:
"A new poll out today shows Americans wanted to withdraw from Afghanistan, but they disapprove of the way you've handled it. The poll also found that based in part on what's transpired in the last week, a majority of Americans, and forgive me, I'm just the messenger, no longer consider you to be competent, focused, or effective in the job."
"I haven't seen that poll," Biden immediately responded. "It's out there," the reporter responded. Biden responded by shaking his head no and laughing. WATCH:

Comment: The stage is being set to do unto Biden what they tried to do unto Trump. It is only a question of 'how soon'?