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O'Rourke says 'special relationship' with Israel goes against US values of equality and dignity, but still ducks question on BDS

Philip Weiss
Mondoweiss
Sat, 23 Mar 2019 20:57 UTC
Beto O'Rourke
© University of New Hampshire/Twitter
Beto O'Rourke speaking at the University of New Hampshire on March 20, 2019.
On Wednesday night, Beto O'Rourke spoke at the University of New Hampshire and said that Palestinian conditions don't meet American values of "fundamental human rights and human dignity" and that the relationship with Israel is hurting America's image in the world.

Asked if he would condemn Israeli, Saudi and Turkish human rights violation, O'Rourke said:
These truths that we hold so dear - that we are all created equal- "all of us" needs to mean, "All of us," not relationships of convenience for short term security gains but relationships that allow us to continue to be the example for so much of the rest of the world. And we cannot be that if we do not believe in the fundamental human rights and human dignity and safety of our fellow human beings regardless of what side of the line they may stand or sit on.

The only way that I know that we can help to secure that in the Middle East specifically with the Palestinian Authority and Israel is to have two states whose people are guaranteed their security, their safety, their dignity and their political rights. Right now of course we do not have that.

Comment: The trickle is becoming a flood.

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Attention

A new Turkey-Iran-Qatar axis rising in the ME has Saudi Arabia furious

Darius Shahtahmasebi
RT
Fri, 22 Mar 2019 16:34 UTC
3 cities ME
© Wikipedia/Ben Morlok; AFP/Atta Kenare; Wikipedia/Francisco Anzola
A new alliance being formed by Qatar, Turkey, and Iran, with the potential to receive the backing of Russia and China, is a major concern to the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

The aftermath of over eight years of war in Syria has changed the regional dynamics in a way almost certainly never envisioned by the United States and its allies. Through leaked documents, we have known for some time now that Washington's interim goal was to, at the very least, destabilise the Assad government in the hopes of scaling back Iranian influence. (Its ultimate goal was quite clearly regime change, which was very close to fruition during at least one stage of the war).

This anti-Assad strategy has, of course, backfired to the point where Iranian-backed forces have essentially amassed along the Syria-Israel border, threatening Washington's most beloved ally in the region. The other notable - and realistically, most important - development is that Russia, not the United States, emerged out of the rubble of Syria as the major power-broker and military tactician.

However, it seems as though the aftermath of Syria is just the beginning of a tectonic move in a massive direction away from the status quo. Eight years on since the war in Syria broke out, and we are now beginning to see some other major concrete shifts within the regional alliances which has Washington's traditional allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, starting to tremble.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Russia slams Trump announcement on Golan Heights as a direct violation of international law


Sputnik
Fri, 22 Mar 2019 09:36 UTC
Golan Heights outpost
© AP/Ariel Schalit
Old military outpost with view of Golan Heights
US allies in the Middle East have reaffirmed their position on the Golan Heights, with the Arab League emphasising that it fully supports Syria's sovereignty over the territory annexed by Israel.

Spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, commenting on US President Donald Trump's statement about the Golan Heights, said that changing the status of the Golan Heights in order to bypass the UN Security Council constituted a direct violation of UN decisions. Zakharova said:
"Russia, as you know, takes a principled position on the issue of the Syrian Arab Republic's ownership of the Golan Heights. This is confirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981. Our assessment of the unlawful nature of Israel's decision to extend its sovereignty to the Golan Heights remains unchanged. Changing the status of the Golan Heights bypassing the Security Council is in direct violation of UN decisions."
The Kremlin has said Friday that the recent statement by US President Donald Trump on the necessity to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights hinders the Middle East settlement and expressed hope that the relevant decision will not be taken.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
"Undoubtedly, such calls may significantly destabilize the already-tense situation in the Middle East. In any case, the idea per se by no means contributes to the Middle East settlement, quite the opposite. In any case, so far it is only a call. We hope that it will remain this way," Peskov added

Comment: Trump's move prompted a backlash from a number of other states, including Syria and Turkey. Erdogan refuted Trump's legitimization of Israel's occupation of Golan Heights as sovereignty:
'We Cannot Allow the Legitimisation of Invasion of Golan Heights' - Erdogan told a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Friday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has warned that US President Donald Trump's recent statement on the Golan Heights puts "the Middle East region on the brink of a new crisis".

The statement comes after the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned US President Trump's comments on the Golan Heights as "irresponsible", adding that the Syrian people are determined to recover the area through "all available means".

The Ministry pointed out that Trump's statement "confirms the US's blind commitment to Israel and support for its aggressive behaviour". According to the Ministry, Washington is violating a UN resolution which describes Israel's intentions to establish its laws in the Golan Heights as invalid and illegal.
The UN and other countries also voiced strong opposition :
UN reiterated Golan Heights status remains same after Trump's call. In particular, the UN does not recognise the annexation of the territory that has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War and formally annexed in 1981.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports, citing sources, that the Trump administration is working on a document to formally recognise the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. The US president might sign it next week during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House.

Trump's call has prompted strong opposition from European and Middle Eastern countries. France bashed the move, recalling that it contradicts international law, while Germany noted that the national borders should be changed through peaceful means.

A similar position has been voiced by Russia, Iran, Palestine and Egypt, with some of the states stressing that the territory falls under Syria's sovereignty.


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Pistol

Israeli army preps for violence in Golan Heights in wake of Trump's announcement


Sputnik
Sat, 23 Mar 2019 17:30 UTC
Golan Brigade
© AFP/Jack Guez
The Golan Brigade
This comes a day after the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned US President Trump's recent comments on the Golan Heights as "irresponsible", adding that the Syrian people plan to recover the area through "all available means".

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and police are bracing themselves for possible violent protests near the Israeli-Syrian border following US President Donald Trump's move to recognise the Jewish state's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. "We are preparing for the possibility of tension in the northern Golan Heights," the IDF said in a statement without elaborating.

The development comes as the Druze, an Arab minority who practice an offshoot of Islam and live in the Golan Heights, rejected US President Donald Trump's support of Israel's sovereignty over the area. "Trump can make his statements and say he wants to make the Golan part of Israel. But we know this will stay Syrian land", Sheikh Mahmoud Nazeeh was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying.

Comment: See also:

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Arrow Up

Ratcheting up the pressure, US hits Venezuela with new economic sanctions

Katie Galioto
Politico
Fri, 22 Mar 2019 02:56 UTC
Trump VenFlag
© Andrew Harnik/AP
US President Donald Trump
The Treasury Department on Friday slapped additional sanctions on Venezuela, this time on the banking sector, the latest effort from the White House to intensify pressure on dictator Nicolás Maduro.

The sanctions target Venezuela's state-owned and controlled bank Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social de Venezuela, or BANDES, and four related financial institutions.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Friday:
"The willingness of Maduro's inner-circle to exploit Venezuela's institutions knows no bounds. Regime insiders have transformed BANDES and its subsidiaries into vehicles to move funds abroad in an attempt to prop up Maduro.

"Maduro and his enablers have distorted the original purpose of the bank, which was founded to help the economic and social well-being of the Venezuelan people, as part of a desperate attempt to hold onto power."
The sanctions are the latest volley in a broad campaign led by the White House to pressure the socialist country's autocrat to step down, after President Donald Trump recognized National Assembly President Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's rightful "interim president" in January.

The sanctions come a day after Venezuelan police detained Guaidó's chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, a move that earned sharp criticism and threat of a forceful response from the United States.

Comment: See also:

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Pirates

Time for celebration? Trump claims ISIS fully destroyed in Syria but US-backed militants disagree


RT
Fri, 22 Mar 2019 20:54 UTC
Trump ISISchart
© REUTERS/Kevin Lamarke
Trump hands over maps depicting the size of the "ISIS physical caliphate" upon his arrival in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., March 22, 2019.
US President Trump has again boasted of victory over Islamic State terrorists. This time they've supposedly fully lost territorial control in Syria, but US-backed militants actually fighting IS on the ground disputed this claim.

Trump faced the media on Friday, yet again showing his favorite visual aid map of "ISIS defeat." "Here's ISIS on Election Day. And here's ISIS right now," Trump told the reporters "You guys can have the map. Congratulations. I think it's about time."

Earlier on Friday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders stated that IS (formerly ISIS/ISIL) no longer held any territory in Syria, citing US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who had briefed Trump on that purported milestone.

The bold claims of -supposedly- the ultimate defeat of the terrorist group have quite unexpectedly come under friendly fire, from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militant group. Mustafa Bali, the head of SDF press service, personally challenged Trump's claims on Twitter. To add insult to injury, he posted pictures to prove what has really been happening in the area.

Comment: More from RT, 3/23/2019: US-backed forces now confirm 'total elimination of ISIS in Syria'
The Kurdish-led and US-back Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that they crushed the last remaining pocket of jihadist resistance in Syria. Damascus earlier dismissed the celebratory news as a "bluff."

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) suffered "total elimination" and "a 100 percent territorial defeat," SDF spokesperson Mustafa Bali announced on Saturday. The news came after Kurdish forces reported heavy fighting near Baghouz in northeastern Deir ez-Zor Province, along the Iraqi border.


As reports of Baghouz being on the verge of complete liberation were coming in, US President Donald Trump rushed to boast of the US-led Coalition's victories. Earlier this week...Trump said that the militants "are losers and barely breathing."


Syria's envoy to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, dismissed Trump's jubilant language as a "bluff" and "untrustworthy." "ISIS is not over yet in Syria," he said, adding that militants are still hiding in the Rukban refugee camp, located within the US-controlled area.


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TV

What will the MSM spin now? US media suffers panic attack after Mueller fails to deliver on Trump indictment


RT
Sat, 23 Mar 2019 19:04 UTC
Mueller Trump
© Agence France-Presse
Important pundits and news networks have served up an impressive display of denials, evasions and on-air strokes after learning that Robert Mueller has ended his probe without issuing a single collusion-related indictment.

The Special Counsel delivered his final report to Attorney General William Barr for review on Friday, with the Justice Department confirming that there will be no further indictments related to the probe. The news dealt a devastating blow to the sensational prophesies of journalists, analysts and entire news networks, who for nearly two years reported ad nauseam that President Donald Trump and his inner circle were just days away from being carted off to prison for conspiring with the Kremlin to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

Comment: No one seems to have taken the disappointment harder that MSNBC's Russiagate shill Rachel Maddow, who visibly teared up onscreen:

The MSNBC host, who has devoted countless hours of airtime to gossiping about the alleged ties between President Donald Trump and the Kremlin, struggled to keep her composure while discussing the end of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which wrapped up on Friday without issuing any further indictments.

Maddow didn't succumb to this unexpected and shocking injustice, however, and reassured her viewers that Mueller's decision not to issue a single collusion-related indictment is the "start of something apparently, not the end of something."

The internet laughed and laughed.


"Very rough night at MSNBC. Rachel Maddow looks like she's going to cry. Chris Hayes glasses are all fogged up," noted radio host Mark Simone.

"This is what it looks like when you've deliberately misled your audience for two years, and then the music stops, and the bill comes due. @maddow," tweeted OANN White House Correspondent Emerald Robinson.

"#Maddow either choking on kitty litter chunks or facing the hard cold reality she's the worst journalist in television history," quipped actor and conservative commentator James Woods.

"What's going on with Maddow? Has she been hospitalized? Sedated?" inquired journalist Michael Tracey.

Others expressed exasperation at Maddow's refusal to face the music, accusing the MSNBC host of ignoring real, pressing issues as she leads her Russiagate crusade.

"So can those of us on the left criticize Trump on the actual issues now, and FINALLY give up on #Russiagate? For 2 years, @maddow has lead @MSNBC in selling us the narrative that Trump colluded w/ Russia What will @maddow do now? Double down or actually do journalism?" asked author and activist Dennis Trainor Jr.



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Arrow Up

Judicial Watch: More classified emails in Hillary Clinton's unsecured email system uncovered


Judicial Watch
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 00:00 UTC
Hillary hand
© MSNBC/KJN
Judicial Watch today announced it received 756 pages of newly uncovered emails that were among the materials former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to delete or destroy, several of which were classified and were transmitted over her unsecure, non-"state.gov" email system.

Hillary Clinton repeatedly stated that the 55,000 pages of documents she turned over to the State Department in December 2014 included all of her work-related emails. In response to a court order in another Judicial Watch case, she declared under penalty of perjury in 2015 that she had "directed that all my emails on clintonemail.com in my custody that were or are potentially federal records be provided to the Department of State, and on information and belief, this has been done."

In 2017, the FBI uncovered 72,000 pages of documents Clinton attempted to delete or did not otherwise disclose. Until the court intervened and established a new deadline, the State Department had been slow-walking the release of those documents at a rate that would have required Judicial Watch and the American people to wait until at least 2020 to see all the releasable Clinton material. The production of documents in this case is now concluded with the FBI being only able to recover or find approximately 5,000 of the 33,000 government emails Hillary Clinton took and tried to destroy.


Comment: See also:

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Eagle

US policy failure results in reopening of Iraqi-Syrian borders and Iran-Beirut road

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 18:33 UTC
baghouz isis suspects
© BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
Men suspected of being Islamic State (IS) fighters wait to be searched by members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after leaving the IS group’s last holdout of Baghouz, in Syria’s northern Deir Ezzor province on February 22, 2019.
"A dinosaur with a bird's brain". This is how the ex-President of Iran Hashemi Rafsanjani described the United States of America, evoking its great military strength but lack of strategic intelligence in foreign policy. Indeed, the very unusual meeting of the chiefs of staff of Syria, Iraq and Iran in Damascus this week would not have been possible without the latest US action in Syria. The US establishment has done a favour for the three countries aligned with the "Axis of resistance" by eliminating the "Islamic State" group (ISIS) in its last stronghold east of the Euphrates. The US attack on Baghuz (east of Syria), done in conjunction with its Kurdish proxies, has led the three military commanders to decide to re-open the land road between Syria and Iraq, paving the way for a safe Iranian land passage to Iraq and Syria. This means the Tehran-Baghdad-Damascus-Beirut road is now clear. This is not the first time the US establishment has rendered substantial strategic support to Iran with its clumsy planning.

When US President Donald Trump decided to pull out of Syria, describing it as a land of "sand and death", he was serious about his plan. However, the US could not leave without first eliminating the ISIS pocket in the area under US control in the east of Syria, which would have meant leaving in place what has been the sole pretext for its occupation of the area. This is why Trump was advised to eliminate ISIS first and then withdraw his troops. He finally ordered his forces to do so after long months of inaction, during which the US effectively offered protection to the terror group and allowed tens of thousands of ISIS militants to move freely to attack the Syrian Army and its allies along the Deir-ezzour al-Bukamal axis.
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Bullseye

The wisdom of Trump's lawyers, and the accountability that Mueller's report must produce

John Solomon
The Hill
Fri, 22 Mar 2019 17:58 UTC
trump mueller

President Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller
Special counsel Robert Mueller did the job he was asked to do, seemingly unfazed by the mindless babble of speculating reporters or the panicked political arrows fired his way from all sides in Washington over nearly two breathless years.

On Friday, he completed that work and delivered a final report in the same understated style with which he accepted the job in May 2017. In between, he was as invisible and mythical as the Wizard of Oz, as he conducted a methodical investigation.
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