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Franklin Lamb
Seyeda Zeinab, Syria
During a meeting at the Dama Rose hotel in Damascus the other morning, this observer was briefed by ‘Abu Modar,” a reputedly battle-honed field commander of the “Death Brigade,” a unit based in the northern Syria Eskanderoun region, north of Latakia. Abu Modar explained that he personally had chosen the rather peculiar name for his outfit to symbolize the willingness of its members to die for their cause—protecting Syria.
“Before each battle or each mission I ask my God to let me die defending Syria”, he explained. “If we are involved with a joint operation with Hezbollah, who are much admired because of their honesty and trustworthiness, I lead my men to the front line and ahead of Hezbollah troops out of respect for them and because we Syrians believe that as their grateful hosts we have this duty.”
by Stephen Lendman
Ukraine is ground zero. It's the most important former Soviet republic. It's a geopolitical prize. The struggle for its soul continues.
US-supported fascists usurped power in Kiev. Most eastern Ukrainians reject them. So do many western ones.
Government by coup d'etat has no legitimacy. Armed men seized Crimea's parliament. More on this below.
On Wednesday, coup plotters addressed thousands assembled in Kiev's Independence Square. They announced an unelected interim government. It has no legitimacy.
Washington favorite Arseniy Yatsenyuk is proposed acting prime minister. Around 20 cabinet ministers were named.
by Stephen Lendman
He wants Venezuela looking like Ukraine. He wants fascists replacing democrats. He wants Washington dictating Venezuelan policy.
He's mindless of what most Venezuelans cherish. Bolivarian fairness is polar opposite neoliberal contempt for social justice. It's too precious to lose. Venezuelans remember. February 27 marked the 25th anniversary of what's called "El Caracazo (meaning Caracas with the suffix 'azo')."
A popular rebellion confronted former President Carlos Andres Perez's hated government. It lasted days. Security forces killed hundreds. Some estimates said thousands. Many others were injured.
Protests followed so-called economic reforms. IMF diktats were imposed. Neoliberal harshness punished ordinary Venezuelans.
by Stephen Lendman
Major media scoundrels praise what demands condemnation. They reinvent history doing it. Managed news misinformation substitutes for legitimate journalism. More on this below.
Ukraine's fascist coup against its democratically elected government was made in the USA.
Washington's dirty hands manipulated things. Billions of dollars were spent doing it. Obama got another imperial trophy - if he can keep it.
Events remain fluid. It's uncertain how they'll play out. For now, neo-Nazis control western Ukraine. Eastern areas reject them. Internal conflict may follow.
Kiev fascists are consolidating power. They ordered dozens of former ruling Party of Regions' officials arrested.
by Stephen Lendman
It's relentless. It never quits. It's for any reason or none at all. Cold War geopolitics never ended.
Since Soviet Russia's 1991 dissolution, Western policy remained hard-wired in place.
Putin defends Russian sovereignty. He opposes US imperial lawlessness. Washington considers him public enemy number one. At stake is world peace.
A previous article discussed Stephen Cohen. He's a Russian expert. He discussed scoundrel media practice. It's longstanding. It's "pervasive," said Cohen. It's reprehensible.
"(E)ssential facts and context" are suppressed. Managed news misinformation substitutes. It's no less ideologically driven than during the Cold War days, Cohen explained.
Putin is viciously demonized. Facts are conveniently twisted. Truth is nowhere in sight.
Michael Collins
"My advice to you [PM Erdogan]: Take a helicopter and flee abroad and resign. Those who rob the state cannot stay in the Prime Ministry." Turkey's main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu
Audio recordings of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan talking with his son Bilal offer explicit revelations of deception and corruption on the same day that Istanbul prosecutors raided the homes of the PM's ministers, cronies, and their adult children. The recording was released on Twitter yesterday and widely available to Turkish internet users. Anonymous blogger, Haramzadeler, published the tapes, which are believed to be copies of original recordings by Turkish law enforcement officials. (Image: turkletom)
Erdogan called his son, Bilal, four times on December 17, 2013 between 8:20 am and 11:20 pm. In the first call, the PM alerts his son to the now famous police raids of December 17. He states that the homes of three adult children of former Erdogan ministers are being raided and tells his son to clear out the PM's money in Bilal's safe.
By Kevin Zeese
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Can Only Do Justice for Cecily McMillan by Dropping the Charges Against Her
The prosecution of occupy activist Cecily McMillan highlights the worst hallmarks of how police and prosecutors in New York responded to the occupy protests. These include abusive targeting of people who are not protesting or who are even obeying police orders, overuse of force and mass arrests in response to assemblies, failure to prosecute abusive police but instead prosecuting victims of police abuse and police falsely testifying in ways that are inconsistent with video tape and photographs of the incident.
The question in the prosecution of Cecily McMillan is whether District Attorney Cyrus Vance will be a participant in serving justice or injustice. If this prosecution of a victim of police abuse continues, he can only be seen as unjust. The victim of police assault will be facing seven years in jail for felony police assault for trying to stop the police from grabbing her breast. The injustice is particularly stark in light of the fact that there is only one police witness who saw, actually participated, in the incident and his credibility is in serious doubt. This one-witness prosecution should be dropped.
by Stephen Lendman
Netanyahu obsesses over a nonexistent Iranian nuclear threat. At his Sunday cabinet meeting, he railed again saying:
"Iran will practically realize its plan to become a nuclear threshold state, with enrichment (capability), and the ability to develop intercontinental missiles."
"This combination of enrichment, weapons, and the ability to launch missiles creates a situation where Iran gets everything and gives nothing."
Reality is polar opposite his rant. Tehran's program is entirely peaceful. It has no military component.
Washington knows it. So do EU partners. Netanyahu manufactures threats. He claims an ballistic missile one. Doing so serves his agenda.
by Stephen Lendman
It bears repeating what previous articles stressed. All the news Times editors call fit to print isn't fit to read.
Managed news misinformation substitutes for truth and full disclosure. It's in lockstep with US monied interests.
Pro-Western propaganda is featured. It's pro-war, pro-business, anti-populist, and anti-government of, by, for everyone equitably, justly and fairly.
It supports imperial lawlessness. Times editors endorse all US campaigns against sovereign independent countries.
They're in lockstep with efforts to topple them. They support Obama's war on Syria. They wrongfully blame Assad for his crimes of war, against humanity and genocide.
by Stephen Lendman
Washington and Israel are longstanding imperial partners. Netanyahu supports Obama's war on Syria.
He bombed Syria at least six times last year. Obama defended his lawlessness. Syria poses no threat. He lied claiming Israel has a right to defend itself against enemies.
He's complicit in all Israeli attacks. Both countries jointly plan them. They're provocative. They want Assad drawn into responding.
He's not stupid. He knows what's going on. He holds a commanding advantage against US-enlisted death squads. He want direct confrontation with Israel and/or Washington avoided.
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