U.S. Says Russia Hacks Energy Grid, Critical Infrastructure.
Staff | Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists | 2018-03-15
The U.S. government has helped the energy, nuclear, commercial, water, aviation and manufacturing sectors kick out the Russians from all systems currently known to have been penetrated, but efforts continue. | The post U.S. Says Russia Hacks Energy Grid, Critical Infrastructure appeared first on Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists.
truthdig.com/articles/u-s-says-russia-hacks-energy-grid-critical-infrastructure/
Iran: Crackdown on Dervish Minority.
Human Rights Watch | Human Rights Watch News | 2018-03-15
(Beirut) — Iranian authorities arrested over 300 members of the minority Dervish Muslim community in late February 2018 after police forcibly tried to break up a protest. The events in February stemmed from what appears to be an intensified crackdown on the Dervish minority, including likely ramped-up surveillance of the group's leader. | Police Forces at the scene of the clashes, Tehran, Iran February 19,2018. | © 2018 Majzooban-e-Noor | The ensuing clashes left dozens of people injured and at least three police officers and one Basij member dead. One arrested protester died in custody in unexplained circumstances. The Iranian authorities should immediately release those held or charge them with a recognizable crime. The authorities should also allow for an independent investigation into possible use of excessive force during the clashes. | "Iranian judicial…
www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/15/iran-crackdown-dervish-minority
#MAGA Staffing Solutions (Video).
Mark Fiore | Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists | 2018-03-15
Now that Rex Tillerson is out of the way, it looks like the scary fun is really going to begin. While Tillerson was happily gutting the State Department, his relationship with President Trump was deteriorating for a variety of reasons. Chief among them seemed to be that Ol' Oilhound Rex wasn't sufficiently "America First." | Trump found his man for State in Mike Pompeo, a guy who is the number one all-time top recipient of Koch funding, has called for Edward Snowden to be put to death and has talked about how easy it would be to bomb Iran into oblivion. Pompeo a Tea Partier, who had been heading the CIA, seems like a perfect match for the insanity of Trump administration "diplomacy." | Tuesday was a busy day: Tillerson was out, Pompeo was…
truthdig.com/cartoons/maga-staffing-solutions-video/
A Nuclear Travelogue: From North Korea to Saudi Arabia.
Charles Pierson | counterpunch.org | 2018-03-14
Photo by Francisco Anzola | CC BY 2.0 | As one nuclear crisis winds down in Asia (maybe) is President Donald Trump laying the foundations for a new nuclear crisis in the Middle East? | On Thursday, March 8, came the surprise news that President Donald Trump had accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong made the announcement at the White House following a meeting with President Trump. Kim had delivered the invitation to a visiting group of South Korean officials, including Chung. Chung passed Kim's invitation along to President Trump during their meeting on Thursday. The South Koreans had been in Pyongyang to arrange a summit between the two Koreas which is now set to be held in April. | In his statement Thursday, Chung said that Trump would…
counterpunch.org/2018/03/14/a-nuclear-travelogue-from-north-korea-to-saudi-arabia/
Russia's Hypersonic Missiles Didn't Surprise America But They Awed the World.
Andrew Korybko | Global Research | 2018-03-14
President Putin unveiled Russia's hypersonic response to the US' so-called "missile defense shield" and restored the strategic nuclear balance between the two Great Powers. | This dramatic announcement came during his annual State of the Nation address which this time included …
globalresearch.ca/russias-hypersonic-missiles-didnt-surprise-america-but-they-awed-the-world/5632051
Trump's firing of Tillerson signals further shift toward global war.
WSWS | World Socialist Web Site | 2018-03-14
Tillerson's replacement by CIA Director Mike Pompeo is bound up with a turn toward upending the nuclear agreement with Iran and a more aggressive militarist policy.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/03/14/till-m14.html
Russia "Threatens" UK: "One Does Not Give 24Hrs Notice to a Nuclear Power"
Zero Hedge | Global Research | 2018-03-14
On the heels of UK PM May's red hot rhetoric and ultimatum yesterday and Germany's pressure this morning, Russia has cranked up their response to '11' on the Spinal Tap amplifier of global armageddon. | Having made clear this morning that: …
globalresearch.ca/russia-threatens-uk-one-does-not-give-24hrs-notice-to-a-nuclear-power/5632110
Wilkerson: Trump Won't Make Peace with North Korea.
TRNN | The Real News Network | 2018-03-13
It is possible to make a peace deal that would denuclearize North Korea, but don't expect Donald Trump to deliver it, says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson…
therealnews.com/idirect.php?i=21340
Iran: End persecution of families seeking truth and justice for detainees who have died in detention.
Amnesty International | 2018-03-13
The Iranian authorities should end their cruel campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of detainees who have died in detention under suspicious circumstances, Amnesty International, the Centre for Human Rights in Iran, Human Rights Watch and Justice for Iran said today. The human rights organizations expressed concerns that bereaved families are facing reprisals for seeking truth and justice and renewed their calls on the authorities to establish an independent commission of inquiry and invite the UN Special Rapporteurs on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to visit.
Iran: Stop Persecuting Families of People Who Died in Jail.
Human Rights Watch | Human Rights Watch News | 2018-03-13
| (Beirut, March 13, 2018) — The Iranian authorities should end their cruel campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of detainees who have died in detention under suspicious circumstances, Amnesty International, the Centre for Human Rights in Iran, Human Rights Watch, and Justice for Iran said today. | The human rights organizations expressed concerns that the bereaved families are facing reprisals for seeking truth and justice and renewed their calls on the authorities to establish an independent commission of inquiry and invite the UN special rapporteurs on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment and on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions to visit. The authorities should ensure that if there is sufficient evidence of unlawful deaths in detention, those responsible will be prosecuted and punished. | The authorities should also immediately lift the travel…
www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/13/iran-stop-persecuting-families-people-who-died-jail
Who's next? Pompeo-Tillerson shake-up sparks Twitter speculation on Trump firings.
RT | RT US News | 2018-03-13
As news of the latest Trump administration cull spreads, social media is alight with reactions and speculation. Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo will replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, while Gina Haspel will lead the CIA. | RT.com…
www.rt.com/usa/421183-tillerson-pompeo-reaction-iran-torture/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
Mike Pompeo on North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan.
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2018-03-13
counterpunch.org/2018/03/13/cia-director-on-north-korea-iran-and-pakistan/
Iran: End persecution of families seeking truth and justice for detainees who have died in detention (Joint Public Statement).
Amnesty International | 2018-03-13
The Iranian authorities should end their cruel campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of detainees who have died in detention under suspicious circumstances, Amnesty International, the Centre for Human Rights in Iran, Human Rights Watch and Justice for Iran said today. The human rights organizations expressed concerns that bereaved families are facing reprisals for seeking truth and justice and renewed their calls on the authorities to establish an independent commission of inquiry and invite the UN Special Rapporteurs on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to visit.
'Bomb Iran & execute Snowden': Brief history of Pompeo's foreign policy rhetoric.
RT | RT US News | 2018-03-13
Newly-installed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doesn't have a huge amount of experience as a diplomat so what can we expect from the former Kansas congressman now that he is heading US foreign policy? | RT.com…
www.rt.com/usa/421176-pompeo-iran-russia-snowden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
'Modernization': Media's Favorite Euphemism for Military Buildup.
Adam Johnson | FAIR | 2018-03-12
Reuters ( 2/12/18) | One of the most effective rhetorical tools in normalizing massive military budgets is to treat spending billions–and sometimes trillions–of dollars as something one has to do in order to be "modern." "Modernization" is, after all, a normative label; who doesn't want to be modern? Here are just a handful of examples over the past month: | "The Department of Energy said the money was needed to modernize and restore the country's nuclear weapons complex." (Reuters, 2/12/18) | Pentagon Budget Seeks Billions for Modernizing Nuclear Arsenal, Missile Defense (The Hill, 2/12/18) | "The United States Army will receive increased funding in the president's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal as the service struggles to modernize while simultaneously fighting wars in current conflicts." (National Interest, 2/19/18) | "US nuclear policy is aimed at deterring Russia through the modernization…
fair.org/home/modernization-medias-favorite-euphemism-for-military-buildup/
Will Trump Help Saudi Arabia Build a Nuclear Program?
TRNN | The Real News Network | 2018-03-12
Media reports say the U.S. is considering selling nuclear reactors to Saudi Arabia. Analyst Ali al-Ahmed is skeptical, and says Trump has just removed the fig leaf of concern for human rights abuses by the Gulf dictatorship…
therealnews.com/idirect.php?i=21324
Overthrow: 100 Years of U.S. Meddling & Regime Change, from Iran to Nicaragua to Hawaii to Cuba.
Democracy Now! | 2018-03-12
As special counsel Robert Mueller continues his probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, we take a look back at Washington's record of meddling in elections across the globe. By one count, the United States has interfered in more than 80 foreign elections between 1946 and 2000. And that doesn't count U.S.-backed coups and invasions. We speak to former New York Times reporter Stephen Kinzer, author of "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq."
www.democracynow.org/2018/3/12/100_years_of_us_interference_regime
US Misses Putin's Nuclear Message (2/2).
TRNN | The Real News Network | 2018-03-11
As Vladimir Putin unveils new weaponry, MIT Professor Theodore Postol says that the US withdrawal from a key arms control treaty, an increased killing capacity, and Trump's "dangerous and uninformed" strategy has compounded the nuclear threat…
therealnews.com/idirect.php?i=21331
Can Trump, Kim, and Moon Make Peace in Korea? (1/2).
TRNN | The Real News Network | 2018-03-09
After months of bellicose rhetoric and fears of nuclear war, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have agreed to historic face-to-face talks. Independent journalist Tim Shorrock and Christine Ahn of Women Cross DMZ discuss the prospects for an agreement and the overlooked role of South Korea in getting both sides to the table…
therealnews.com/idirect.php?i=21323
Trump agrees to meet Kim but says 'sanctions will remain' until denuclearization deal is reached.
RT | RT US News | 2018-03-09
Donald Trump has accepted a personal invitation from the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the possible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but also has vowed to keep sanctions in place until a firm deal is reached. | RT.com…
www.rt.com/usa/420830-korea-kim-trump-letter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
Pentagon 'disappointed' by Putin's revelation of new Russian nuclear deterrent.
RT | RT US News | 2018-03-08
Top Pentagon officials have told US lawmakers that they were "disappointed" by Putin's public announcement of Russia's unmatched missile capability, lamenting that he will use it to further "intimidate" the US and its allies. | RT.com…
www.rt.com/usa/420766-pentagon-disappointed-putin-missiles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
For NYT, a Trillion Dollars' Worth of A-Bombs Is 'Little' Response to Russia.
Adam Johnson | FAIR | 2018-03-07
"Russia has ramped up its arsenals," and "US has done little in response"–except ramp up its own arsenal by more than the size of the entire Russian arsenal (New York Times, ( 3/5/18). | For the New York Times, the US is always lagging behind the Russian menace. Previously, the Times has told us how America was losing the "scramble for the Arctic" ( 8/30/15) and falling behind in election-meddling ( 3/4/18). Now it's in the realms of cyber and nuclear war that the Times sees dangerous gaps. | In "A Russian Threat on Two Fronts Meets an American Strategic Void" ( 3/5/18), reporters David Sanger and William Broad passed along the worries of Washington–as expressed by a few military higher-ups, some guy from the arms industry mouthpiece known as the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and…
fair.org/home/for-nyt-a-trillion-dollars-worth-of-a-bombs-is-little-response-to-russia/
Mother of Accused NSA Leaker Reality Winner: My Daughter Wasn't Read Her Miranda Rights.
Democracy Now! | 2018-03-02
On Tuesday, former U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Leigh Winner appeared in court in Augusta, Georgia, where her lawyers asked the judge to exclude her statements to FBI agents on the day she was arrested, arguing she was denied her Miranda rights. Winner is a former National Security Agency contractor who has pleaded not guilty to charges she leaked a top-secret document to The Intercept about Russian interference in the 2016 election. She is facing up to 10 years in prison on charges she violated the Espionage Act. For more, we speak with two guests. In Chicago, we're joined by Kevin Gosztola, a journalist and managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He was in the courtroom in Augusta on Tuesday, and his recent article is titled "In Reality Winner's Case, Defense Seizes Upon FBI Testimony to Bolster Motion to Suppress Statements." And in Augusta, Georgia, we speak with by Reality Winner's mother, Billie Winner-Davis. She's joining us from her daughter's house, where Reality Winner was questioned and arrested by FBI agents on June 3.
www.democracynow.org/2018/3/2/mother_of_accused_nsa_leaker_reality