Daily Archives: January 22, 2021

2021-01-22: News Headlines

Sapan Maini-Thompson (2021-01-21). Assange cannot be extradited, but free speech arguments dismissed — an extended look. ukhumanrightsblog.com In The Government of the United States v Julian Assange (2021), the District Judge sitting at Westminster Magistrates' Court discharged the American extradition request against the founder of WikiLeaks because there is a substantial risk that he would commit suicide. Given Julian Assange's political notoriety as an avowed whistle-blower, however, the judgment is significant for …

Pip Hinman (2021-01-21). Medevac refugees released from torture centres, activists vow to continue the campaign. greenleft.org.au The release of refugees from detention has given activists hope that there will be a change in policy. But, as Chloe DS writes, they won't stop organising until all refugees are released from onshore and offshore prisons and given permanent protection.

_____ (2021-01-21). How use of drones to secure borders threatens all our rights. truepublica.org.uk A new report published by Drone Wars UK investigates the increasing use of military-style drones by governments to patrol state borders. The study, which examines the use of drones at the borders of the UK, EU, US, Russia, China, Australia and elsewhere, concludes that drones are contributing to the militarisation of everyday borders as part …

Staff (2021-01-20). Profiting from Pardons: Giuliani Aide Told CIA Whistleblower a Trump Pardon Would Cost $2 Million. democracynow.org With less than 12 hours before the end of his presidency, Donald Trump issued 143 pardons and commutations, including a pardon for Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist and campaign manager. Trump, who has pardoned other associates and allies during his single term, has so far rejected calls to pardon prominent whistleblowers including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and NSA whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Reality Winner. Details continue to emerge about how allies of Trump have personally profited from people seeking pardons. We speak with John Kiriakou, a former CIA analyst and case officer who exposed t…

_____ (2021-01-20). No Pardons For Edward Snowden Or Julian Assange. popularresistance.org Although several long shot campaigns were mounted, President Donald Trump did not pardon any whistleblowers who were indicted or prosecuted under the United States Espionage Act. He also declined to pardon the only journalist ever to be indicted under the World War I-era law. | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden were not offered clemency because Trump "did not want to anger Senate Republicans who will soon determine whether he's convicted during his Senate trial." | "Multiple GOP lawmakers had sent messages through aides that they felt strongly about not granting clemency to Ass…

Alan MacLeod (2021-01-20). Trump Caps off Law and Order Legacy With Record Executions, No Mercy for Whistleblowers. thealtworld.com Missing from Trump's flurry of last-minute pardons were Snowden, Assange, or Reality Winner. Instead, the president will leave office with a record number of executions under his belt and a slew of pardons for political allies. | MPN- Among the final acts of Donald J. Trump's time in office was to approve a last-minute flurry of

John Whitehead (2021-01-20). The Deep State's Stealthy, Subversive, Silent Coup to Ensure Nothing Changes. mintpressnews.com Donald Trump swore to drain the swamp in Washington DC, instead, he paved the way for lobbyists, corporations, and the military industrial complex. Here's why Joe Biden will be no different.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-20). Steve Bannon and corrupt officials given last-minute pardon by Trump. peoplesdispatch.org In the last few hours of his presidency, Donald Trump chose to pardon a whole array of corrupt officials and rich felons, while overlooking calls for pardoning whistleblowers and journalists…

Juan Cole (2021-01-19). Respected Israeli Rights Group B'Tselem declares Israel an Apartheid State. zcomm.org Apartheid is one of the listed "crimes against humanity" along with enslavement, torture, war rape, and forcible deportation. A crime against humanity is the systematic and continuous commission of war crimes…