Monthly Archives: August 2019

2019-08-31: News Headlines

Orion Edmonson (2019-08-31). Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil tabeling. indybay.org MACARTHUR & FRUITVALE OAKLAND 94602…

WSWS (2019-08-31). IYSSE holds meetings in defence of Assange at Australian universities. wsws.org One student commented: "What is happening is an injustice to him and his rights and freedom of speech. Young people should join together and fight for what is true and what is honest."

Sam Husseini (2019-08-30). The Whistleblower Who Almost Stopped the Iraq Invasion. truthdig.com Editor's note: This article was initially published on Consortium News. | Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley is known for being in "period pieces" such as "Pride and Prejudice," so her playing the lead in the new film "Official Secrets," scheduled to be released in the U.S. on Friday, may seem odd at first. That is until one considers that the time span being depicted — the early 2003 run-up to the invasion of Iraq — is one of the most dramatic and consequential periods of modern human his…

Alex Emmons (2019-08-30). Draconian Rules at Guantanamo Bay Violate Media's First Amendment Rights, News Outlets Say. theintercept.com Military officials at Guantanamo Bay have drafted restrictive new rules for journalists visiting the naval base that require journalists to agree to have all their interviews vetted and supervised by public affairs officers. | The policy was handed out this week to journalists, including one from The Intercept, who were asked to sign and return it within as little as 26 hours if they wanted to attend military commission proceedings in the coming weeks. | "[Journalists] may not participate in any activity related to their work, including any news or information gathering activity, if they are not accompanied by a…

José Olivares (2019-08-29). How Solitary Confinement Kills: Torture and Stunning Neglect End in Suicide at Privately Run ICE Prison. theintercept.com Guards at an ICE jail put Efraín Romero de la Rosa in solitary confinement despite a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He killed himself after 21 days.

Fight Back (2019-08-28). Israeli drone attack on Beirut suburb. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC – Israel launched a drone attack in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh, August 24, targeting the media offices of the national democratic political party Hezbollah. Lebanese politicians denounced the attacks as "acts of war," and Hezbollah stated it will respond. | Hezbollah reports that one of the Israelis drones exploded and the other did not – due to a technical failure. Of the drone that failed to blow up, Hezbollah stated "it was laden with a bomb which was professionally wrapped and isolated," made up of C4 explosives. | In recent days, Israel has launched attacks on Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and ea…

Staff (2019-08-28). Airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria & Iraq Mark Dangerous Escalation in Decades-Long Israeli Aggression. democracynow.org Tensions are mounting across the Middle East following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Lebanese President Michel Aoun likened the recent Israeli attacks to a "declaration of war." Israeli drones bombed targets in Lebanon on both Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Iraqi lawmakers are calling on the United States to fully withdraw its troops following a series of Israeli air raids conducted by Israel. Israel has only claimed responsibility for an attack on Syria Saturday, which they said targeted an Iranian-operated base that was preparing to launch a drone assault on Israel. We speak wi…

ACLU (2019-08-27). New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System. aclu.org Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…

Mnar Muhawesh (2019-08-26). Breaking The Media Blackout on the Imprisonment of Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com The same media that has spent years dragging Assange's name through the mud is now engaging in a blackout on his treatment. If you are waiting for corporate media pundits to defend freedom of the press, you're going to be disappointed.

Will Parrish (2019-08-25). The U.S. Border Patrol and an Israeli Military Contractor Are Putting a Native American Reservation Under "Persistent Surveillance" theintercept.com Elbit Systems, which touts its products as "field-proven" on Palestinians, was contracted to build a high-tech surveillance system on Tohono O'odham land.

Fight Back (2019-08-23). Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…

2019-08-31: Social Media Postees

IYSSE holds meetings in defence of Assange at Australian universities
wsws.org | 2019-08-31
One student commented: "What is happening is an injustice to him and his rights and freedom of speech. Young people should join together and fight for what is true and what is honest."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/31/jaiy-a31.html

Basta !!! Free Chelsea Manning & Julien Assange Oakland Weekly Friday Vigil tabeling
Orion Edmonson | indybay.org | 2019-08-31
MACARTHUR & FRUITVALE OAKLAND 94602…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/30/18825829.php

The Whistleblower Who Almost Stopped the Iraq Invasion
Sam Husseini | truthdig.com | 2019-08-30
Editor's note: This article was initially published on Consortium News. | Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley is known for being in "period pieces" such as "Pride and Prejudice," so her playing the lead in the new film "Official Secrets," scheduled to be released in the U.S. on Friday, may seem odd at first. That is until one considers that the time span being depicted — the early 2003 run-up to the invasion of Iraq — is one of the most dramatic and consequential periods of modern human his…
truthdig.com/articles/the-whistleblower-who-nearly-stopped-the-iraq-invasion/

Draconian Rules at Guantanamo Bay Violate Media's First Amendment Rights, News Outlets Say
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-08-30
Military officials at Guantanamo Bay have drafted restrictive new rules for journalists visiting the naval base that require journalists to agree to have all their interviews vetted and supervised by public affairs officers. | The policy was handed out this week to journalists, including one from The Intercept, who were asked to sign and return it within as little as 26 hours if they wanted to attend military commission proceedings in the coming weeks. | "[Journalists] may not participate in any activity related to their work, including any news or information gathering activity, if they are not accompanied by a…
theintercept.com/2019/08/30/guantanamo-bay-press-restrictions/

How Solitary Confinement Kills: Torture and Stunning Neglect End in Suicide at Privately Run ICE Prison
José Olivares | theintercept.com | 2019-08-29
Guards at an ICE jail put Efraín Romero de la Rosa in solitary confinement despite a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He killed himself after 21 days.
theintercept.com/2019/08/29/ice-solitary-mental-health-corecivic/

Israeli drone attack on Beirut suburb
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-28
Washington, DC – Israel launched a drone attack in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh, August 24, targeting the media offices of the national democratic political party Hezbollah. Lebanese politicians denounced the attacks as "acts of war," and Hezbollah stated it will respond. | Hezbollah reports that one of the Israelis drones exploded and the other did not – due to a technical failure. Of the drone that failed to blow up, Hezbollah stated "it was laden with a bomb which was professionally wrapped and isolated," made up of C4 explosives. | In recent days, Israel has launched attacks on Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and ea…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/28/israeli-drone-attack-beirut-suburb

Airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria & Iraq Mark Dangerous Escalation in Decades-Long Israeli Aggression
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
Tensions are mounting across the Middle East following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Lebanese President Michel Aoun likened the recent Israeli attacks to a "declaration of war." Israeli drones bombed targets in Lebanon on both Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Iraqi lawmakers are calling on the United States to fully withdraw its troops following a series of Israeli air raids conducted by Israel. Israel has only claimed responsibility for an attack on Syria Saturday, which they said targeted an Iranian-operated base that was preparing to launch a drone assault on Israel. We speak wi…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/israel_airstrikes_lebanon_syria_iraq

New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System
aclu.org | 2019-08-27
Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/employee-speech-and-whistleblowers/new-resource-tool-sheds-light-governments

Breaking The Media Blackout on the Imprisonment of Julian Assange
Mnar Muhawesh | mintpressnews.com | 2019-08-26
The same media that has spent years dragging Assange's name through the mud is now engaging in a blackout on his treatment. If you are waiting for corporate media pundits to defend freedom of the press, you're going to be disappointed.
mintpressnews.com/media-blackout-imprisonment-espionage-act-julian-assange/261510/

The U.S. Border Patrol and an Israeli Military Contractor Are Putting a Native American Reservation Under "Persistent Surveillance"
Will Parrish | theintercept.com | 2019-08-25
Elbit Systems, which touts its products as "field-proven" on Palestinians, was contracted to build a high-tech surveillance system on Tohono O'odham land.
theintercept.com/2019/08/25/border-patrol-israel-elbit-surveillance/

Activists demand Minnesota divest from border militarization contractor
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-23
St. Paul, MN – On August 22, immigrant rights and Palestine solidarity activists presented over 1000 signatures of Minnesota residents petitioning the State Board of Investments (SBI) to divest state pension funds from the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Elbit sells cluster bombs and weaponized white phosphorus to the Israel Defense Forces, whose indiscriminate use on besieged Gaza has been widely condemned by international organizations. Elbit also manufactures surveillance equipment for the Israeli apartheid wall, and drones used in targeted assassinations of Palestinian political leaders. | Advertisi…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/23/activists-demand-minnesota-divest-border-militarization-contractor