Daily Archives: August 3, 2019

2019-08-03: News Headlines

Lawrence S. Wittner (2019-08-03). The democratic debates need more questions about nuclear war. nationofchange.org There is a remarkable incongruity between the existential danger of nuclear war and the absence of public discussion about preventing it. | This disconnect is all too apparent today, as arms control and disarmament treaties are scrapped, nations embark on vast nuclear weapons buildups, and governments threaten nuclear war against one another. Meanwhile, the mass media routinely avoids these issues but, instead, focuses on movie stars, athletes, and President Donald Trump's latest tweeted insults. | Do I exaggerate? Consider the following. | In May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the l…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-08-03). A Major Conventional War Against Iran Is an Impossibility. Crisis within the US Command Structure. globalresearch.ca What both the media and military analysts fail to acknowledge is that US CENTCOM's forward Middle East headquarters at the al-Udeid military base close to Doha de facto "lies in enemy territory". Since the May 2017 split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Qatar has become a staunch ally of Iran…

unitedEditor (2019-08-03). Iran's Interests in China's One Belt One Road Policy. uwidata.com The Chinese economy has recently boosted its foreign exchange earnings and substantially increased its currency reserves. The increase in China's foreign exchange reserves and resources has provided the government with the opportunity to become one of the major actors in the supply of international relations and the global economy. China is one of the emerging …

WSWS (2019-08-03). US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war. wsws.org The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.

Anya Parampil (2019-08-02). 'La vacuna contra el unilateralismo': el Movimiento de Países No Alineados se reúne en Venezuela para resistir contra la tiranía del dólar. thegrayzone.com Cobertura de The Grayzone desde la conferencia ministerial del Movimiento de Países No Alineados (Mnoal), donde representantes de más de…

Staff (2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…

Staff (2019-08-02). US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability. therealnews.com Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US is unilaterally withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which could have been re-negotiated if the US had acknowledged its own responsibility for the treaty's problems…

John Wojcik (2019-08-02). Trump kills Cold War missile treaty, setting stage for a new arms race. peoplesworld.org Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who came to the Trump administration from the Tea Party wing of the Republicans, announced in February that the president intended to suspend U.S. participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and was beginning the process of total U.S. withdrawal in six months. The pullout from this Cold War-era missile …

Staff (2019-08-02). U.S. to Test New Weapon as Arms Treaty With Russia Dies. truthdig.com Washington and Moscow walked out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed in 1987.

T.J. Coles (2019-08-02). Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents. counterpunch.org Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task More

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-08-02). Why Did the UK Commander of HM Montrose Refrain from Firing on Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)? Who in Iran Gave Orders to Capture the "Stena Impero"? globalresearch.ca The US officially asked Europe, in particular the UK, France, Germany and Italy, to provide a naval force to patrol and protect ships sailing in the Straits of Hormuz, even if the command and control is handled by the Europeans …

Robert Fantina (2019-08-02). The MEK: Illusion vs. Reality. counterpunch.org The oddly named People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (known as the MKO or MEK), whose sole purpose is the overthrow of the people's government of Iran, has been busy. Some of their members, who seem to be mainly elderly, are technologically savvy, and use social media to further their disgraceful cause. But they don't just More

Matt Korda (2019-08-02). In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32. thenation.com In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32…

Olivia Alperstein (2019-08-02). The U.S. Should Never Start A Nuclear War. commondreams.org Alongside climate change, nuclear weapons pose one of the gravest risks to human survival. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shutterstock_1101398828-1080×675.jpeg

teleSUR (2019-08-02). China Vows to Retaliate if Trump Imposes New Tariffs. telesurenglish.net China did not take lightly to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threats to impose new tariffs, as Beijing has vowed to take retaliatory measures against Washington should they go through with this trade tax. | RELATED: | US Withdraws From 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty | On Friday, China warned the U.S. that they would not be blackmailed and vowed tit-for-tat measures if Trump goes through with his threat to slap a 10 percent tariff on US$300 billion of Chine…

United Nations (2019-08-02). UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty. un.org Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty betweein the United States and Russia came to an end.

Staff (2019-08-01). Headlines for August 1, 2019. democracynow.org Presidential Hopefuls Take Aim at Joe Biden During Second Night of Debates, Protesters Confront Joe Biden over Immigration Record, Protesters Confront NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio over Eric Garner's Death, NY Medical Examiner: Layleen Polanco Died of Epilepsy in Solitary Cell, U.N. Warns 21st Century's Worst Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Syria, Trump Administration Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister, Sudan Schools Closed After Soldiers Massacre Students, Greenland Ice Melts at Rapid Pace as Temperatures Climb 30 Degrees Above Normal, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Promotes Climate Justice Proposal, 66 Seek Medical Care…

Jason Ditz (2019-08-01). US Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister; Move Seen as Rebuke of Diplomatic Offer. theantimedia.com The latest US sanctions on Iran are very specific, hitting FM Javad Zarif, blocking all property and financial interests he has in the US.

The Progressive Magazine (2019-08-01). Smoking Gun: Politicians Say the Most Racist Things. progressive.org Examples of things said by office-holders and aspirants around the country.

susan_p (2019-08-01). Gunboat diplomacy in the Persian Gulf. greenleft.org.au The United States and Britain are ensuring that tensions remain high in the Straits of Hormuz as they continue beating the drums of war against Iran. | A second British warship arrived in the Strait of Hormuz on July 29, tasked with escorting British-flagged commercial vessels between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. | This latest escalation follows a number of incidents since June 13 when two oil tankers (one Japanese, the other Norwegian) were hit by explosives and caught fire. The US immediately blamed Iran for the attacks, accusing it of trying to disrupt oil supplies. | A few days later a US spy drone…

pip.hinman (2019-08-01). Thanks Miranda Devine, but we will win abortion reform. greenleft.org.au Thank you Miranda Devine for your wild overreaction to the bill before NSW parliament to treat abortion as a health issue ("Vote Libs, get Greens", Daily Telegraph, July 31), as it will no doubt lose you and News.com support. | It must also surely rank as top fake news of the week. Far from being "one of the most dangerous radical abortion bills on the planet", the bill is modelled on existing Queensland and Victorian law. | Moreover, your view that Coalition MPs' support for basic health care for women is somehow a Labor-Green plot is equally bizarre. This bill is not about late-term abortions, as you suggest. I…

Alex Emmons (2019-08-01). Candidates, Your Views on the Middle East? You Have 30 Seconds. theintercept.com If you blinked, you might have missed it. | Across the five hours of Democratic primary debates split between two nights this week, the presidential hopefuls discussed the future of U.S. foreign policy for no more than 25 minutes. | Other policy areas had it worse. There were no questions either night on Puerto Rico, for example, or LGBT issues, or reproductive rights. But the scant attention to foreign policy was striking precisely because it's the area in which a president has the most power to change things on their own. If the next president wants to rejoin the Paris climate agreement or renegotiate the Iran…

Staff (2019-07-31). Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan. democracynow.org While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.

Staff (2019-07-31). 2nd Democratic Debate, Pt. 1: The Moderate/Progressive Divide Came Through (1/3). therealnews.com The first part of the second democratic debate showed a non-rancorous divide on how to beat Trump and fresh discussions first-use of nuclear weapons and for getting out of Afghanistan…

unitedEditor (2019-07-31). Hormuz Strait Coalition. uwidata.com Following the outbreak of a tanker crisis between the UK and Iran, the U.S. has decided to take on the role of the main mediator in the conflict and has made an attempt to knock together an international coalition for guarding the Hormuz Strait. CONTEXT Tensions in the Hormuz Strait are running practically unabated already …

unitedEditor (2019-07-30). Who Will American Soldiers Fight With in Saudi Arabia? uwidata.com President Donald Trump's Administration is getting ready to deploy hundreds of servicemen to Saudi Arabia as tensions with Iran are mounting, CNN said in a report quoting a well-informed official at the Pentagon. He revealed that some 500 soldiers would be sent to Prince Sultan airbase to the south of Riyadh. US is preparing to …

Lawrence Wittner (2019-07-30). Dear Moderators of the Presidential Debates. dissidentvoice.org You mass media folks lead busy lives, I'm sure. But you must have heard something about nuclear weapons — those supremely destructive devices that, along with climate change, threaten the continued existence of the human race. Yes, thanks to popular protest and carefully-crafted arms control and disarmament agreements, there has been some progress in limiting …

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-06-28). Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Jon Rainwater (2019-06-20). Striking Iran Now Could Spark a Major War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is considering strikes on Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "The United States has stumbled into a perilous situation. If, for example, the U.S. …

Peace Action (2019-06-17). Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …

Jon Rainwater (2019-06-17). Sending More Troops to the Middle East is Adding Fuel to the Fire. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 17, 2019 — In response to the Trump administration's decision to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East amidst escalating tensions with Iran, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "Rather than pursuing diplomatic off ramps to avert conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is …

2019-08-03: Social Media Postees

The democratic debates need more questions about nuclear war
Lawrence S. Wittner | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-03
There is a remarkable incongruity between the existential danger of nuclear war and the absence of public discussion about preventing it. | This disconnect is all too apparent today, as arms control and disarmament treaties are scrapped, nations embark on vast nuclear weapons buildups, and governments threaten nuclear war against one another. Meanwhile, the mass media routinely avoids these issues but, instead, focuses on movie stars, athletes, and President Donald Trump's latest tweeted insults. | Do I exaggerate? Consider the following. | In May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the l…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/03/the-democratic-debates-need-more-questions-about-nuclear-war/

A Major Conventional War Against Iran Is an Impossibility. Crisis within the US Command Structure
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-03
What both the media and military analysts fail to acknowledge is that US CENTCOM's forward Middle East headquarters at the al-Udeid military base close to Doha de facto "lies in enemy territory". Since the May 2017 split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Qatar has become a staunch ally of Iran…
globalresearch.ca/a-major-conventional-war-against-iran-is-an-impossibility-crisis-within-the-us-command-structure/5682514

Iran's Interests in China's One Belt One Road Policy
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-03
The Chinese economy has recently boosted its foreign exchange earnings and substantially increased its currency reserves. The increase in China's foreign exchange reserves and resources has provided the government with the opportunity to become one of the major actors in the supply of international relations and the global economy. China is one of the emerging …
uwidata.com/4707-irans-interests-in-chinas-one-belt-one-road-policy/

US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/inft-a03.html

'La vacuna contra el unilateralismo': el Movimiento de Países No Alineados se reúne en Venezuela para resistir contra la tiranía del dólar
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-02
Cobertura de The Grayzone desde la conferencia ministerial del Movimiento de Países No Alineados (Mnoal), donde representantes de más de…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/02/movimiento-de-paises-no-alineados-venezuela-dolar/

Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents
T.J. Coles | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/ship-of-fools-britain-america-and-the-iranian-oil-tanker-incidents/

The MEK: Illusion vs. Reality
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
The oddly named People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (known as the MKO or MEK), whose sole purpose is the overthrow of the people's government of Iran, has been busy. Some of their members, who seem to be mainly elderly, are technologically savvy, and use social media to further their disgraceful cause. But they don't just…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/the-mek-illusion-vs-reality/

Why Did the UK Commander of HM Montrose Refrain from Firing on Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)? Who in Iran Gave Orders to Capture the "Stena Impero"?
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-02
The US officially asked Europe, in particular the UK, France, Germany and Italy, to provide a naval force to patrol and protect ships sailing in the Straits of Hormuz, even if the command and control is handled by the Europeans …
globalresearch.ca/why-did-the-uk-commander-of-hm-montrose-refrain-from-firing-on-irans-revolutionary-guards-irgc-who-in-iran-gave-orders-to-capture-the-stena-impero/5685433

China Vows to Retaliate if Trump Imposes New Tariffs
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-02
China did not take lightly to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threats to impose new tariffs, as Beijing has vowed to take retaliatory measures against Washington should they go through with this trade tax. | RELATED: | US Withdraws From 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty | On Friday, China warned the U.S. that they would not be blackmailed and vowed tit-for-tat measures if Trump goes through with his threat to slap a 10 percent tariff on US$300 billion of Chine…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-Vows-to-Retaliate-if-Trump-Imposes-New-Tariffs-20190802-0003.html

U.S. to Test New Weapon as Arms Treaty With Russia Dies
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-02
Washington and Moscow walked out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed in 1987.
truthdig.com/articles/u-s-to-test-new-weapon-as-arms-control-treaty-with-russia-dies/

In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32
Matt Korda | thenation.com | 2019-08-02
In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32…
thenation.com/article/intermediate-range-nuclear-forces-treaty-inf-obituary/

The U.S. Should Never Start A Nuclear War
Olivia Alperstein | commondreams.org | 2019-08-02
Alongside climate change, nuclear weapons pose one of the gravest risks to human survival. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shutterstock_1101398828-1080×675.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/02/us-should-never-start-nuclear-war?cd-origin=rss

US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US is unilaterally withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which could have been re-negotiated if the US had acknowledged its own responsibility for the treaty's problems…
therealnews.com/stories/us-withdrawal-from-inf-treaty-creates-greater-nuclear-instability

UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty betweein the United States and Russia came to an end.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043691

Trump kills Cold War missile treaty, setting stage for a new arms race
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-02
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who came to the Trump administration from the Tea Party wing of the Republicans, announced in February that the president intended to suspend U.S. participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and was beginning the process of total U.S. withdrawal in six months. The pullout from this Cold War-era missile …
peoplesworld.org/article/trump-kills-cold-war-missile-treaty-setting-stage-for-a-new-arms-race/

Smoking Gun: Politicians Say the Most Racist Things
The Progressive Magazine | progressive.org | 2019-08-01
Examples of things said by office-holders and aspirants around the country.
progressive.org/magazine/smoking-gun-politicians-190801/

Nechirvan Barzani and the New Structure of Erbil-Tehran Relations
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-01
Dissatisfied with the Shah's confirmation of the 1975 Algiers Agreement, Kurdish Iraqi parties had initiated close and friendly relations with the Islamic Revolution's leaders from the beginning, having seen themselves as victims of the former government's deal. The Long war (1980-1988) between Iraq and post-revolution Iran was another opportunity for a closer relationship between the …
uwidata.com/4613-nechirvan-barzani-and-the-new-structure-of-erbil-tehran-relations/

US Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister; Move Seen as Rebuke of Diplomatic Offer
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-08-01
The latest US sanctions on Iran are very specific, hitting FM Javad Zarif, blocking all property and financial interests he has in the US.

US Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister; Move Seen as Rebuke of Diplomatic Offer

Gunboat diplomacy in the Persian Gulf
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-01
The United States and Britain are ensuring that tensions remain high in the Straits of Hormuz as they continue beating the drums of war against Iran. | A second British warship arrived in the Strait of Hormuz on July 29, tasked with escorting British-flagged commercial vessels between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. | This latest escalation follows a number of incidents since June 13 when two oil tankers (one Japanese, the other Norwegian) were hit by explosives and caught fire. The US immediately blamed Iran for the attacks, accusing it of trying to disrupt oil supplies. | A few days later a US spy drone…
greenleft.org.au/content/gunboat-diplomacy-persian-gulf

Thanks Miranda Devine, but we will win abortion reform
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-01
Thank you Miranda Devine for your wild overreaction to the bill before NSW parliament to treat abortion as a health issue ("Vote Libs, get Greens", Daily Telegraph, July 31), as it will no doubt lose you and News.com support. | It must also surely rank as top fake news of the week. Far from being "one of the most dangerous radical abortion bills on the planet", the bill is modelled on existing Queensland and Victorian law. | Moreover, your view that Coalition MPs' support for basic health care for women is somehow a Labor-Green plot is equally bizarre. This bill is not about late-term abortions, as you suggest. I…
greenleft.org.au/content/thanks-miranda-devine-we-will-win-abortion-reform

Candidates, Your Views on the Middle East? You Have 30 Seconds
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-08-01
If you blinked, you might have missed it. | Across the five hours of Democratic primary debates split between two nights this week, the presidential hopefuls discussed the future of U.S. foreign policy for no more than 25 minutes. | Other policy areas had it worse. There were no questions either night on Puerto Rico, for example, or LGBT issues, or reproductive rights. But the scant attention to foreign policy was striking precisely because it's the area in which a president has the most power to change things on their own. If the next president wants to rejoin the Paris climate agreement or renegotiate the Iran…
theintercept.com/2019/08/01/candidates-your-views-on-the-middle-east-you-have-30-seconds/

Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_debate_foreign_policy_mehdi_hasan

2nd Democratic Debate, Pt. 1: The Moderate/Progressive Divide Came Through (1/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-31
The first part of the second democratic debate showed a non-rancorous divide on how to beat Trump and fresh discussions first-use of nuclear weapons and for getting out of Afghanistan…
therealnews.com/stories/second-demcoratic-debate-part-one-the-moderate-progressive-divide-came-through-1-3

Hormuz Strait Coalition
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-31
Following the outbreak of a tanker crisis between the UK and Iran, the U.S. has decided to take on the role of the main mediator in the conflict and has made an attempt to knock together an international coalition for guarding the Hormuz Strait. CONTEXT Tensions in the Hormuz Strait are running practically unabated already …
uwidata.com/4579-hormuz-strait-coalition/

Dear Moderators of the Presidential Debates
Lawrence Wittner | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-30
You mass media folks lead busy lives, I'm sure. But you must have heard something about nuclear weapons — those supremely destructive devices that, along with climate change, threaten the continued existence of the human race. Yes, thanks to popular protest and carefully-crafted arms control and disarmament agreements, there has been some progress in limiting …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/dear-moderators-of-the-presidential-debates/

Who Will American Soldiers Fight With in Saudi Arabia?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-30
President Donald Trump's Administration is getting ready to deploy hundreds of servicemen to Saudi Arabia as tensions with Iran are mounting, CNN said in a report quoting a well-informed official at the Pentagon. He revealed that some 500 soldiers would be sent to Prince Sultan airbase to the south of Riyadh. US is preparing to …
uwidata.com/4554-who-will-american-soldiers-fight-with-in-saudi-arabia/

Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2019-07-18
Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …
peaceaction.org/2019/07/18/diplomacy-instead-of-a-disaster-in-iran/