2019-09-27: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2019-09-27). Witness Intimidation: Unbalanced Trump Seeks Whistleblower Sources, Hints Execution for Espionage. commondreams.org This is the sort of tactic former vice president Richard Bruce Cheney deployed against CIA operative Valerie Plame, to punish her husband Joe Wilson for revealing that there was never any solid evidence that Iraq had purchased uranium from Niger. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trumpy_1.jpeg

Peter Certo (2019-09-27). The Case for Impeachment Goes Far Beyond Ukraine. counterpunch.org "Has Trump finally gone too far?" There's a headline you've seen a thousand times. At last, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he has. A whistleblower says Trump withheld foreign aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's new president into investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter's past business there. Trump doesn't even really deny it. Pelosi has long More

Patrick Anderson (2019-09-27). Edward Snowden's Julian Assange is an Unfamiliar Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks' former editor Julian Assange have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, they share important similarities: both are perceived as dangerous enemies by the United States government, and both have been documentary subjects of filmmaker Laura Poitras. On the other hand, they clearly disagree when it comes to the means of achieving government transparency and accountability. After all, if Snowden had agreed with Assange a…

Staff (2019-09-27). Whistleblower Probe Tests GOP's Alliance with Trump. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—One Republican hadn't read the whistleblower's complaint. Another called President Donald Trump's conversation with the Ukraine leader "thin gruel" for any impeachment effort. A third said the whole thing was "blown way out of proportion." | And yet, as more details emerged about what the president said and the efforts to shield it from view, Republicans were straining Thursday under the uncertainty of being swept up in the most serious test yet of their alliance with the Trump White House. | The quickly moving events caught Republicans off stride. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sta…

The Canary (2019-09-27). Private security firm spied on Julian Assange for CIA, reports claim. thecanary.co A Spanish private security company hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London when Julian Assange lived there spied on the WikiLeaks founder for the US intelligence service, it has been claimed.A report in Spanish newspaper El Pais said the company, UC Global SL, allegedly handed over audio and video to the CIA of meetings Assange held with his lawyers.The company is being investigated over the claims by Spain's High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, said the report.Assange filed a criminal complaint himself, in which he accused the company of violating his privacy and the secrecy of his client-attorney privi…

Orion Edmonson (2019-09-27). Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil tabeling. indybay.org FRUITVALE & MACARTHER…

teleSUR (2019-09-27). US: Polls Show Increased Support for Trump's Impeachement. telesurenglish.net A Politico/Morning Consult poll argues that the number of voters supporting President Donald Trump's impeachment increased from 36 percent on September 22 to 43 percent on September 26. | RELATED: | Whistleblower Report Reveals Trump Sought Foreign Meddling for 2020 Elections | "As more information has emerged about whistleblower allega…

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-09-27). MSM Defends CIA's "Whistleblower" After Ignoring Actual Whistleblowers. theantimedia.com The word "whistleblower" has been trending in news headlines lately, but not for the reasons that any sane person might hope for.

Staff (2019-09-27). Trump's Legal Manipulation Could Chill Future Whistleblower Testimony. truthout.org | | Under bipartisan pressure from Congress, an intelligence community whistleblower complaint, now the focus of an official House impeachment inquiry, was declassified and mad…

WSWS (2019-09-27). Release of CIA whistleblower complaint intensifies political civil war in Washington. wsws.org The complaint by the CIA agent assigned to the White House alleges that US President Trump "is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election."

Trevor Timm (2019-09-27). Trump's Ukraine Scandal Shows Why Whistleblowers Are So Vital to Democracy. commondreams.org NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is just one in a long line of whistleblowers who risked life and liberty to tell the American people—and the world—about the corrupt and illegal practices of the U.S. government. (Photo: Laura Poitras) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/edward-snowden_1.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-09-27). Suggesting His Life in Danger, Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Claims He's the "Real Whistleblower" commondreams.org "If I get killed now, you won't get the rest of the story." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/rudy_rudy_rudy.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-09-27). As Video of Trump Threat Surfaces, Advocates Say NYT Guilty of Putting "Target on Whistleblower's Back" commondreams.org "This has a very chilling effect on anyone who is even thinking of blowing the whistle and thinking of doing so through the proper channels." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_whistleblower.jpg

Staff (2019-09-27). James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office. democracynow.org Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump's July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 202…

Staff (2019-09-27). Headlines for September 27, 2019. democracynow.org Whistleblower Warned White House Tried to "Lock Down" Ukraine Call Details, Acting DNI Maguire Says Whistleblower "Acted in Good Faith", Trump Suggests Whistleblower Should Get Death Sentence for Treason, Global Youth-Led Strikes Demand Action on Climate Crisis, Study Finds Climate Crisis May Threaten 60% of World's Wheat Crop by 2100, States Challenge Trump's Rollback of Endangered Species Act, Senate Advances Confirmation of Ex-Monsanto Executive to Lead Wildlife Agency, EPA Chief Blames California's Homeless Population for Poor Water Quality, Protesters Defy Security Crackdown in Egypt, Demanding Ouster of Pre…

RT (2019-09-26). Schiff's 're-telling' of Trump phone call with Ukraine head gets mocked as 'unhinged Orange-Man-Bad fan fiction'. rt.com With impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump resting on the content of a single phone call, who could blame Congressman Adam Schiff for embellishing the truth a little, all to sell his "Orange Man Bad" narrative. | Though Trump released a transcript of the call in question on Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House Intelligence Committee pressed ahead with questioning Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday, about his handling of the whistleblower complaint that first thrus…

RT (2019-09-26). House Intelligence Committee releases whistleblower report on Trump-Zelensky call. rt.com The whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump has been released. In it, the leaker admits he did not actually hear the phone call at the center of the scandal. | Released by the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the complaint details the circumstances surrounding Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Democrats argue that Trump attempted to pressure Zelensky into reopening a corruption inve…

Staff (2019-09-26). Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal. democracynow.org Responding to news of a whistleblower's complaint at the center of an impeachment inquiry filed against President Trump this week, famed whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks about his own decision to leak classified documents in 2013. The House Intelligence Committee has released the declassified whistleblower complaint, which details a July phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. The White House is trying "to make the conversation not about the allegations," Snowden told Democracy Now! "They want to talk about the whistleblower rather than the government's own wrongdoing."

Staff (2019-09-26). Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State. democracynow.org Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…

Staff (2019-09-26). "Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him. democracynow.org As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…

Andre Vltchek (2019-09-25). Hong Kong is Scared of the Rioters. dissidentvoice.org It was once a British police station, as well as the Victoria Prison Compound. Hong Kong inhabitants used to tremble just from hearing its name mentioned. This is where people were detained, interrogated, humiliated, tortured and disappeared. Now, after Hong Kong 'returned to China', it was converted into the Tai Kwun Center — one of …

Finian Cunningham (2019-09-25). They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish. mintpressnews.com John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."

RT (2019-09-25). DNI did not threaten to resign over Trump-Zelensky call 'whistleblower' – but don't tell the WaPo that. rt.com Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire says he did not threaten to resign over concerns the White House would try to silence his testimony regarding the Trump-Zelensky "whistleblower" as the WaPo reported it. | "At no time have I considered resigning my position since assuming this role on August 16, 2019," Maguire said in a statement released on Wednesday after the Washington Post claimed he had threatened to do just that. | "I have never quit anything in my life and I am not about to start now." | According to "current and former US officials familiar with the matter" cited by…

Staff (2019-09-25). "We've Reached Critical Mass": Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for "Dastardly Deeds" democracynow.org Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump following allegations from an intelligence community whistleblower that Trump sought help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter. On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the Trump administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. We get response and look at next steps with Congressmember Al Gree…

susan_p (2019-09-25). Sri Lanka: Torture continues, perpetrators promoted. greenleft.org.au human rights Chris SleeIssue 1239 Sri Lanka Tamil TortureSeptember 25, 2019″The indifference to repeated allegations of police torture is shocking and makes a mockery of Sri Lanka's stated commitment to security secto…

RT (2019-09-24). Trump authorizes release of 'complete' transcript of call with Ukraine's Zelensky, Dems still not happy. rt.com US President Donald Trump said a full transcript of his recent call with the Ukrainian president is to be released, but Democrats continue with calls for impeachment and plan to interview the whistleblower on the incident. | Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he had authorized the release of the "complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of his conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky. In a separate tweet, he said it was a "very friendly and totally appropriate call" and he applied "no pressure" on the Ukrainian leader. | Democrats had been up in arms after a whistleblower complained that Trump had allege…

Staff (2019-09-24). Whistleblowers Save our Democracy, Says Daniel Ellsberg. therealnews.com Trump has been exposed by leakers and might face consequences, and Edward Snowden has published a book. Daniel Ellsberg reflects on the bravery of exposing the truth.

Peter Koenig (2019-09-24). Houthi Attack on Saudi Oil Fields: a False Flag? dissidentvoice.org On Saturday morning, September 14, 2019, a few drones — were they drones or long-range missiles? — hit the Saudis most important two oil fields, set them ablaze, apparently knocking out half of the Saudi crude production but measured in terms of world production it is a mere 5%. Could be made up in no …

Fight Back (2019-09-21). New York activists demand: Never again to martial law in the Philippines. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – 25 people gathered September 20 at noon in front of the Consulate General of the Philippines in New York City to commemorate the 47th anniversary of martial law in the Philippines under the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The action was called by BAYAN USA NorthEast, to say, "Never again to martial law," and to call attention to the continuation of state repression in the Philippines under the current, U.S.-backed Duterte regime. | Rodrigo Duterte's so called "war on drugs" has led to the killings, torture and imprisonment of many Filipino activists and human rights defenders, just like…

Aaron Maté (2019-09-19). UK worsens Julian Assange's persecution as US seeks extradition. thegrayzone.com Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of Wikileaks, says that UK authorities are holding Julian Assange in worse conditions than accused terrorists and…