Daily Archives: September 11, 2020

2020-09-11: News Headlines

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-11). Assange's Fourth Day at the Old Bailey: COVID in the Courtroom. counterpunch.org As James Lewis QC for the prosecution, representing the US government, revealed, "I'm just saying about my charger. It's in court and I'm going to run out of battery." It was one of those moments that said much about the fourth day of proceedings at the Old Bailey regarding one Julian Assange, publisher, Australian national

Kenn Orphan (2020-09-11). Fascism and the Quickening of History. counterpunch.org Over the last few months I have been revisiting research I did a long time ago on fascism. Pinochet's Chile, Sukarno's Indonesia, Montt's Guatemala, Hitler's Germany and beyond. I've spent time poring over the accounts of the survivors, the details of the crimes, the descriptions of the torture, of the camps, the ghettos, the dehumanization,

T.J. Coles (2020-09-11). The War on Your Mind: A Brief History of the U.S. Surveillance-Intelligence Complex. globalresearch.ca The recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vindicated the contractor-turned-whistleblower, Edward Snowden, by ruling that the National Security Agency's blanket data collection was unlawful and likely After Snowden alerted the world, t…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-09-10). Assange Trial Exposes False Partisan Narratives With Focus On Trump's War On Journalism. thealtworld.com scandalously opaque and A new article about the proceedings in The Evening Standard titled "

WSWS (2020-09-10). Assange targeted for political views in "terrifying threat to First Amendment," expert witnesses tell hearing. wsws.org WikiLeaks' exposure of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan had played "possibly the most important role" in catalysing public opposition to both wars.

Editor (2020-09-10). Assange Extradition and the War on Journalism. scheerpost.com Event starts at 5-minute point — drag cursor to start. A webinar/press conference organized by the late Kevin Zeese for PopularResistance.org streamed live today, Sept. 9, 2020. The attempt to extradite Julian Assange to the United States for prosecution is a war against freedom of the press and our right to know. If the prosecution of Assange under the Espionage Act occurs… |

_____ (2020-09-10). The Ongoing And Unjustifiable Persecution Of Julian Assange. popularresistance.org A hugely important struggle for press freedom is currently taking place in the Old Bailey in London, where, on Monday, three weeks of hearings began regarding the proposed extradition to the US of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. In 2010 and 2011, WikiLeaks published documents leaked by a serving member of the US military — Bradley, now Chelsea Manning — that exposed evidence of war crimes committed by the US and, in the case of my particular area of expertise, Guantánamo.

_____ (2020-09-10). Expert Tells Court, Charges Against Assange Are Unconstitutional. popularresistance.org It is immaterial whether one considers Julian Assange to be a reporter because he was engaged in "journalistic activity" when obtaining and publishing classified US documents, the director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation told the court on day three of the WikiLeaks publisher's extradition hearing. | The US indictment against WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange represents an "unconstitutional" threat to the First Amendment of the United States constitution and to press freedom more generally, Professor Trevor Timm told the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-10). Assange's Third Day at the Old Bailey: Bias, Politics and Wars on Journalism. counterpunch.org The third day of extradition proceedings against Julian Assange at the Old Bailey resumed on the point of politics. Assange as a figure of political beliefs; Assange as a target of the Trump administration precisely for having them. The man sketching the portrait was Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University. It

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-10). Assange's trial postponed after suspected COVID-19 exposure. peoplesdispatch.org The brief halt in the trial proceedings was prompted after it was revealed that a member of the prosecution team may have been exposed to COVID-19, posing risks to everyone attending…

Eds. (2020-09-10). Wikileaks helped end secret U.S. killings, Assange extradition hearing is told. mronline.org REVELATIONS published by Wikileaks helped to end a secret U.S. assassination programme and freed unlawfully detained prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, the Julian Assange extradition hearing was told today.

Craig Murray (2020-09-10). Your Man in the Public Gallery — Assange Hearing Day 8. globalresearch.ca The great question after yesterday's hearing was whether prosecution counsel James Lewis QC would continue to charge at defence witnesses like a deranged berserker (spoiler — he would), and more importantly, why? | QC's representing governments usually seek to radiate calm …

The Canary (2020-09-10). Fear of 'Covid in the courtroom' halts Julian Assange case. thecanary.co The extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been brought to a halt at the Old Bailey over fear of "Covid in the courtroom".District Judge Vanessa Baraitser stopped proceedings on the fourth day of hearings, as it emerged that a lawyer for the US Government may have been exposed to the virus and was being tested.Speaking in court, Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Assange, told the judge: "We respectfully submit we have to go with the assumption (the lawyer) has Covid."If that is the correct assumption it has consequences — firstly we should not be here today because Covid will be in the courtro…

Media Lens (2020-09-10). "Absolute And Arbitrary Power": Killing Extinction Rebellion And Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org The use and misuse of George Orwell's truth-telling is so widespread that we can easily miss his intended meaning. For example, with perfect (Orwellian) irony, the BBC has a statue of Orwell outside Broadcasting House, bearing the inscription: 'If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-10). Reprieve's Clive Stafford Smith on US Judicial Unfairness, Assange's Show Trial. globalresearch.ca British/American human rights lawyer Smith founded UK-based Reprieve in 1999 — "an organization of courageous and committed human rights defenders." | It provides pro bono legal and investigative work services for "some of the world's most vulnerable people." | They include individuals …

pip.hinman (2020-09-10). Amnesty calls on US, Britain to drop the charges against Assange. greenleft.org.au

Charles Pierson (2020-09-10). Looters and Losers and Trump, Oh My! counterpunch.org If you want to avoid Trumpian condemnation, don't fight for your country like a chump. Fight for money. Are you an ambitious young psychopath searching for a hot career? You can earn $22,500 per month (much of it tax-free) as a private military contractor, vulgarly known as "mercenaries." That's more than four times a US army captain's measly monthly pay of around $4952. Ka-ching!

WSWS (2020-09-09). Assange extradition hearing: WikiLeaks exposed US drone killings, torture and rendition, says Guantanamo Bay lawyer. wsws.org Clive Stafford Smith likened US torture tactics to those of the Spanish Inquisition.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-09). Assange's Second Day at the Old Bailey. dissidentvoice.org The highlights of the second day of Julian Assange's extradition proceedings at the Central Criminal Court in London yielded an interesting bounty. The first was the broader public purpose behind the WikiLeaks disclosures, their utility in legal proceedings, and their importance in disclosing instances of US extrajudicial killings, torture and rendition. The second involved a …

John Pilger (2020-09-09). Video: Outside the London Show-trial of Julian Assange: John Pilger's Speech. globalresearch.ca Veteran investigative journalist and filmmaker John Pilger delivered the following speech outside London's Old Bailey Central Criminal Court on Monday, the first day of resumed show-trial proceedings for the extradition of Julian Assange to the US. Pilger, along with a …

_____ (2020-09-09). Julian Assange Hearing: Day Three. popularresistance.org Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University, took the stand by video link to testify about Julian Assange's political views and how they factor into the Trump administration's prosecution of Assange for publishing. | Rogers reviewed Assange's speeches, including an anti-war speech in 2011 in London and a speech to the UN following the release of Iraq and Afghan war logs, as well as Mairead Maguire's nomination of Assange for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. LINKs. Rogers concluded that Assange's views don't fall into traditional liberal or conservative belief systems but are rather more…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-09). Assange's Guilt by Accusation Extradition Show Trial Resumes. globalresearch.ca Powerful forces in the US and UK want Assange crucified for the unforgivable "crime" of truth-telling investigative journalism the way it should be on vital for everyone to know geopolitical issues. | That's what his slow-motion extradition to the US trial …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-09). On Day 3 of Assange's trial, defense builds case to prove political nature of US indictment. peoplesdispatch.org The defense presented two witnesses to point out how politically motivated the ongoing prosecution against Assange is and the threat it poses on press freedoms.

_____ (2020-09-09). Roger Waters: If Julian Assange Is Guilty, So Am I. popularresistance.org Musician Roger Waters told NewsClick that , "In 2010 Julian Assange along with Chelsea Manning played a pivotal role in releasing classified documents on US military activity in Iraq and Iran. I displayed the video for three years. If Julian is guilty so am. I am ready to give my arrest and may be in the coming time they can arrest me too. "

Staff (2020-09-09). 175 Years in a U.S. Prison? Extradition Trial of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Begins in London. democracynow.org As the long-awaited extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets underway in London, his legal adviser, Jennifer Robinson, says the case could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms around the world. "He faces 175 years in prison for doing his job as a journalist and a publisher. That's why this case is so dangerous," says Robinson. Assange faces numerous charges, including under the U.S. Espionage Act, related to the release of diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks that revealed war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He faces a possible life sentence if he is extrad…

_____ (2020-09-09). Julian Assange, Prometheus Bound. strategic-culture.org He is being punished not for stealing fire — but for exposing power under the light of truth and provoking the god of Exceptionalism. | Pepe ESCOBAR | This is the tale of an Ancient Greek tragedy reenacted in AngloAmerica. | Amid thundering silence and nearly universal indifference, chained, immobile, invisible, a squalid Prometheus was transferred from the gallows for a show trial in a faux Gothic court built on the site of a medieval prison. | Kratos, impersonating Strength, and Bia, impersonating Violence, had duly chained Prometheus, not to a mountain in the Caucasus, but to solitary confinement in a h…

sputniknews (2020-09-09). Assange Extradition Hearing Seems to Focus on His Political Motivations, Not Legality of His Actions. sputniknews.com On this edition of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk to Steve Poikonen about day three of the resumption of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing in London.

Staff (2020-09-09). WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange May Face Up to 175 Years in Prison. truthout.org Image Credit: Julia Quenzler | As the long-awaited extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets underway in London, his legal adviser, Jennifer Robinson, says the case could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms around the world. "He faces 175 years in prison for doing his job as a journalist and a publisher. That's why this case is so dangerous," says Robinson. Assange faces numerous charges, including under the U.S. Espionage Act, related to the release of diplomatic cables pu…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-09). Assange on Trial: A Stunning Lack of Transparency and Fairness. counterpunch.org The fine circus that is British justice resumed at London's Central Criminal Court on September 7, with the continued extradition proceedings against Julian Assange. Judge Vanessa Baraitser was concerned that approximately 40 individuals had received remote video access they apparently should not have. "In error, the court sent out orders to others who had sought

Craig Murray (2020-09-09). Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 7. globalresearch.ca This morning we went straight in to the evidence of Clive Stafford Smith, a dual national British/American lawyer licensed to practice in the UK. He had founded Reprieve in 1999 originally to oppose the death penalty, but after 2001 …

Global Research News (2020-09-09). Selected Articles: Extradition Trial of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca By Amid thundering silence and nearly universal indifference, chained, immobile, invisible, a squalid Prometheus was transferred from the gallows for a show trial in a faux Gothic court built on …

_____ (2020-09-09). Remembering Kevin Zeese, Tireless Fighter For Our Democracy. popularresistance.org Defending Rights & Dissent was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Kevin Zeese over the weekend. Over his life, he was on the frontlines of many causes—whistleblower protections, election integrity, single payer healthcare, net neutrality, reforming our criminal justice system, environmental justice, and peace. He was the press secretary for Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign and in 2006 ran for Senate in Maryland with the backing of both the Green and Libertarian Parties.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-09). Protests follow yet another custodial death in Egypt. peoplesdispatch.org 26-year-old Islam Al-Ostraly was arrested after an an argument with a police officer last week. While the police claim that he fell ill in prison and died of a 'circulatory attack, signs of extreme torture were reportedly found on his body…

Staff (2020-09-09). DHS Whistleblower Says He Was Pushed to Alter Intel to Fit Trump's Antifa Views. truthout.org A whistleblower within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is alleging that at least two of the agency's politically-appointed officials instructed employees within the department to revise intelligence assessments to better fit statements and narratives made by President Donald Trump. | Specifically, higher-ups at the department

Nauman Sadiq (2020-09-08). Will Trump Pardon Snowden and Assange if Re-elected? globalresearch.ca Speculations about a presidential pardon for the whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked National Security Agency's classified information to the press in 2013, have grown since last month after Donald Trump commented on the case in

_____ (2020-09-08). Assange Hearing: Dramatic Opening Day. popularresistance.org The dramatic first day of the resumption of Julian Assange's extradition hearing has ended, with technical problems cutting short the testimony of the first defense witness, Broadcast Journalism Professor Mark Feldstein. | Feldstein's written testimony has been released to the public. On the virtual "stand"—online because of the pandemic—Feldstein was questioned by the defense. He testified that it was a daily occurrence for the press to publish classified information; that he did not expect publishers to be prosecuted for this because the First Amendment protects publishers, allowing them to expose t…

WSWS (2020-09-08). Watch John Pilger's speech outside the London show-trial of Julian Assange. wsws.org "The American indictment is clearly rigged, a demonstrable sham. So far, the hearings have been reminiscent of their Stalinist equivalents during the Cold War."

Newsclick (2020-09-08). If Julian Is Guilty So Am I: Roger Waters. peoplesdispatch.org Musician Roger Waters told NewsClick that , "In 2010 Julian Assange along with Chelsea Manning played a pivotal role in releasing classified documents on US military activity in Iraq and Iran. I displayed the video for three years. If Julian is guilty so am. I am ready to give my arrest and may be in the coming time they can arrest me too. "

Craig Murray (2020-09-08). Your Man in the Public Gallery: the Assange Hearing Day 6. globalresearch.ca I went to the Old Bailey today expecting to be awed by the majesty of the law, and left revolted by the sordid administration of injustice. | There is a romance which attaches to the Old Bailey. The name of course …

WSWS (2020-09-08). The working class must demand an end to the show trial of Julian Assange. wsws.org Assange's kangaroo court extradition hearing has seen the UK, which boasts of being one of the world's oldest democracies, sink to the level of a tinpot dictatorship.

Staff (2020-09-08). Headlines for September 8, 2020. democracynow.org Record-Breaking Wildfires and Heat Scorch California, Rochester Protests Continue as Mayor Promises Changes After Police Killing of Daniel Prude, Major Drug Companies Pledge to Not Rush COVID-19 Vaccine as U.S. Cases Top 6.3 Million, India Becomes Second Most Infected Country; Spain First European Country to Surpass 500,000 Cases, Belarusian Opposition Leader Resists Expulsion at Border with Ukraine After Reports of Abduction, Alexei Navalny Out of Induced Coma as He Continues Recovery from Poisoning, Extradition Hearing Resumes for Julian Assange in U.K., Hundreds of Rohingya Refugees Arrive on Dry Land After Mo…

yenisafak (2020-09-08). Assange warned he will be removed from London court if outbursts continue. yenisafak.com Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who is fighting to avoid extradition to the United States from Britain, was warned by a judge on Tuesday he will be removed from the courtroom and tried in his absence if he continues to interrupt proceedings.The U.S. authorities accuse Australian-born Assange, 49, of conspiring to hack government computers and of violating an espionage law in connection with the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.Assange shouted "nonsense" as James Lewis, a lawyer acting for the U.S. government told a witness that the Wikileaks founder was facing extradition proceedings…

Global Research News (2020-09-08). Selected Articles: Nord Stream 2 vs. Poisoning of Alexei Navalny. globalresearch.ca By If you asked me to sum up today in a word, that word would undoubtedly be "railroaded". it was all about pushing …

WSWS (2020-09-08). Protesters condemn show trial of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey. wsws.org Longstanding supporters were joined by others who had travelled from across the UK and from Switzerland, France, Portugal, the United States and Australia.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-08). The trial of Assange, Day 2: Guantanamo and a warning. peoplesdispatch.org The extradition hearings of Julian Assange continued on Tuesday with British lawyer Clive Stafford Smith and journalism professor Mark Feldstein testifying. When Assange termed a prosecution argument nonsense, the judge gave him a warning…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-08). Sinking Transparency at the Old Bailey: The Assange Extradition Hearing Resumes. dissidentvoice.org The fine circus that is British justice resumed at London's Central Criminal Court on September 7, with the continued extradition proceedings against Julian Assange. Judge Vanessa Baraitser was concerned that approximately 40 individuals had received remote video access they apparently should not have. "In error, the court sent out orders to others who had sought …

yenisafak (2020-09-08). Tension mounts at Israeli prison after detainee's death. yenisafak.com Tension escalated inside Israel's Ofer prison on Tuesday following the death of a Palestinian detainee a few months before his release.According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPC), prison guards stormed two sections inside the prison and transferred many detainees to solitary confinement.It said that detainees were tortured by prison guards and their belongings were damaged."The situation is difficult and complicated inside the prison," PPC head Qadora Fares told Anadolu Agency.Last week, Palestinian detainee Daoud al-Khatib, 45, died inside the prison's section 20, a few months before he completes his 18-…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-07). Trial for Assange's extradition resumes in London. peoplesdispatch.org The trial portion for Julian Assange's extradition hearings began today, September 7, at the Central Criminal Court or the Old Bailey in London. The trial will take place over the next three to four weeks and picks up from where it was left off in the previous round in February. The current phase of trial that was earlier scheduled in April, was delayed over the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly before the trial began, the previous extradition request was withdrawn and Assange was arrested under a fresh indictment issued by the US in August. | The presiding judge Vanessa Baraitser confirmed that Assange now stands trial…

The Canary (2020-09-07). Assange supporters gather outside Old Bailey ahead of extradition hearing. thecanary.co Dozens of Julian Assange supporters have gathered outside the Old Bailey, where the WikiLeaks founder is set to continue his fight against extradition to the US.The 49-year-old, who has been in high-security Belmarsh Prison for 16 months, is wanted over the publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.He is expected to appear in court in person on Monday for the first time in months, facing 18 charges — including plotting to hack computers and conspiring to obtain and disclose national defence information.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's father, John Shipton, arrives at the…

_____ (2020-09-07). Heavyweights Weigh In On Assange "Show Trial" popularresistance.org An online Zoom call will take place for members of the press this Wednesday, September 9 at 1: 00 pm EST to address the United States attempt to extradite WikiLeaks' publisher, Julian Assange. The call will feature Dan Ellsberg, the whistleblower whose release of the Pentagon Papers helped to bring the Viet Nam War to an end, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, and James Goodale, former Vice President of the New York Times. | "If Julian Assange–the first journalist to be indicted in the US for doing journalism–is extradited and prosecuted, the First Amendment will be in a terminal state as protection…