WSWS has an article about journalist Mary Kostakidis speaking in defense of Julian Assange:
“I’m here today because our government has allowed an Australian to languish in a foreign embassy for so many years. They’ve stood by as Ecuador broke international law last night, and basically gave him up to be handed over to the United States.
“This was never about a Swedish sex case, it was never about jumping bail. It was always about extradition to the US. It was always about revenge. It was always about our right to know.
“This is why journalists, all over the world, who have published material that WikiLeaks made available, should stand up for Julian’s rights. Because it goes to the heart of journalism, and publishing and editing.
“So all those media organisations need to stand up and be counted. It goes to the heart of journalism because this is a core journalistic value. This is why the fourth estate is a critical part of democracy.
“Our government has acted appallingly. We expect them to protect us when we are overseas. There’s no difference between Liberal and Labor.
“They support all the things the United States stands for. Assange is accused of placing ‘national security’ under threat, with the documents he has released. What places national security at risk, and the citizens of a country at risk, is the wrongdoing of their government: war-mongering, land-grabbing, resource-grabbing.”
The media coverage in the US has been appalling. It's been so bad that even John Oliver's called it out:
"Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver questioned CNN's coverage of the arrest of Julian Assange.
In an episode airing Sunday night, Oliver focused on CNN zeroing in on Assange's appearance, with reporters calling out the WikiLeaks founder's beard and apparent aging.
The comedian noted that it was “a weird tone to take on story that is this important," adding, “His arrest sparks a difficult debate about the efficacy of journalistic protections in the age of cyber espionage, but look how bad he looks! He like a peeled potato rolled in spider webs! He looks like Kenneth Branagh’s ghost!”
[. . .]
“You are allowed to not like him, but America’s current attempt to extradite him hangs on a specific charge many journalism advocates find unsettling," he said. “On its face, it currently seems more than a little flimsy,” the HBO late-night host said.
Maybe we need to really look at who is standing with Julian and remember who stood up and who didn't. And those who couldn't be bothered, should they need me? I think I'll take a pass. This is a defining moment. We either stand up or we don't. I don't have a lot of sympathy for those who are being silent. I'm glad that, community wide, we are standing with Julian. I'm glad John Pilger, Pamela Anderson, Oliver Stone, etc are standing with him.
I do want to note this from NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED:
MARTIN: So, as you mentioned earlier, Assange has only been charged with one count of conspiracy. If he's extradited to the U.S., could he face other charges here? And is that something that his lawyers might raise?
BELLINGER: Additional charges may be added before his extradition is sought. But after he is extradited, then the U.S. cannot change the charges later on. That would violate a treaty provision called the rule of specialty. So he could only be tried for the charges for which he is extradited.
MARTIN: That's John Bellinger. He was the State Department's legal adviser under President George W. Bush. He now heads the Global Law and Public Policy Practice Group at the law firm Arnold & Porter.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Monday, April 15, 2019. What is the point of the militias in Iraq? That question is being asked.
Justin Thomas (THE NATIONAL) ponders one aspect of the Iraq War:
Around 4,000 years ago, a craftsperson fashioned a black stone to look like a resting duck. The object is beautiful, the duck’s neck curves back towards its tail feathers, and the detail in the eyes and beak speak to real artistry. Beyond aesthetics, this object was also used as some kind of weight, giving it a function in the story of humanity as well. This elegant stone bird went missing 16 years ago this month, along with around 15,000 other artefacts of similar beauty, cultural significance and historical importance.
The looting of the National Museum of Iraq on April 10, 2003, has been described as “cultural genocide” and “one of the worst acts of cultural vandalism in modern times”. If we also add to this the looting of Iraq’s archaeological sites and then add Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan to the equation too, we get a creeping sense of the magnitude of this problem. We might even get the sneaking suspicion that we are losing our memories. For what are antiquities if not tangible representations of who we were and, indeed, who we are?
In the 1950s at McGill University, Dr Ewen Cameron, an eminent psychiatrist, developed a treatment he called “psychic driving”. Central to his procedure was an attempt to erase patients’ memories and start again with a blank slate. Through the use of intensive electric shock therapy and a powerful cocktail of psychiatric drugs, Cameron partially succeeded in wiping away patients’ past recollections. The treatment, however, didn’t work; if anything it made patients’ initial symptoms worse. Memory loss is rarely a good thing, and the loss of antiquities on the scale seen in recent decades is like psychic driving on a national level.
Naomi Klein's "Baghdad Year Zero" (HARPER'S MAGAZINE) noted the shock therapy aspects of the US plan for Iraq in many ways but it did not note the wiping out of the historical achievements and memories. It's worth considering whether or not this was also an intended consequence.
Meanwhile, Mina Aldroubi (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Iraqi populist Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr condemned the Tehran-backed Shiite militias' support towards victims of flash flooding in Iran.
A convoy of 50 vehicles carrying member of the militias, also known as the Hashed Al Shaabi, arrived in western Iranian provinces that were severely affected by the flash flooding, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sunday.
"Iraqis come first," Mr Al Sadr said on Twitter, adding that there are many areas in Iraq that are at risk of flooding from torrential rain.
"Since there are those who have provided relief to affected areas in Iran, it is our duty to intensify our efforts to provide relief to our people in Iraq," he said.
The Hashed Al Shaabi was formed in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces defeat ISIS but are accused of exploiting its position and human rights breaches.
Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr is correct on this. Iraq's been flooded as well. The international media has elected to focus solely on Iran but Iraq's been flooded as well creating displaced persons.
Justin Thomas (THE NATIONAL) ponders one aspect of the Iraq War:
Around 4,000 years ago, a craftsperson fashioned a black stone to look like a resting duck. The object is beautiful, the duck’s neck curves back towards its tail feathers, and the detail in the eyes and beak speak to real artistry. Beyond aesthetics, this object was also used as some kind of weight, giving it a function in the story of humanity as well. This elegant stone bird went missing 16 years ago this month, along with around 15,000 other artefacts of similar beauty, cultural significance and historical importance.
The looting of the National Museum of Iraq on April 10, 2003, has been described as “cultural genocide” and “one of the worst acts of cultural vandalism in modern times”. If we also add to this the looting of Iraq’s archaeological sites and then add Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan to the equation too, we get a creeping sense of the magnitude of this problem. We might even get the sneaking suspicion that we are losing our memories. For what are antiquities if not tangible representations of who we were and, indeed, who we are?
In the 1950s at McGill University, Dr Ewen Cameron, an eminent psychiatrist, developed a treatment he called “psychic driving”. Central to his procedure was an attempt to erase patients’ memories and start again with a blank slate. Through the use of intensive electric shock therapy and a powerful cocktail of psychiatric drugs, Cameron partially succeeded in wiping away patients’ past recollections. The treatment, however, didn’t work; if anything it made patients’ initial symptoms worse. Memory loss is rarely a good thing, and the loss of antiquities on the scale seen in recent decades is like psychic driving on a national level.
Naomi Klein's "Baghdad Year Zero" (HARPER'S MAGAZINE) noted the shock therapy aspects of the US plan for Iraq in many ways but it did not note the wiping out of the historical achievements and memories. It's worth considering whether or not this was also an intended consequence.
Meanwhile, Mina Aldroubi (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Iraqi populist Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr condemned the Tehran-backed Shiite militias' support towards victims of flash flooding in Iran.
A convoy of 50 vehicles carrying member of the militias, also known as the Hashed Al Shaabi, arrived in western Iranian provinces that were severely affected by the flash flooding, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sunday.
"Iraqis come first," Mr Al Sadr said on Twitter, adding that there are many areas in Iraq that are at risk of flooding from torrential rain.
"Since there are those who have provided relief to affected areas in Iran, it is our duty to intensify our efforts to provide relief to our people in Iraq," he said.
The Hashed Al Shaabi was formed in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces defeat ISIS but are accused of exploiting its position and human rights breaches.
Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr is correct on this. Iraq's been flooded as well. The international media has elected to focus solely on Iran but Iraq's been flooded as well creating displaced persons.
Disable the official permanence in the governorate of #sulaymaniyah, and a number of districts of the governorate of #erbil - northern #Iraq-؛ due to the floods.
That's from March 31st. We've been noting this for weeks now. Saturday, Pam Wright (THE WEATHER CHANNEL) reported:
After weeks of heavy rains, historic water levels at Iraq's reservoirs are threatening dams, prompting the evacuation of thousands.
The heavy rain and melting snowcaps from Turkey and Iran have nearly overtopped Iraq's four main reservoirs, while the Tigris and Euphrates rivers continue to rise.
Residents near the Dukan dam in the
northeast were told to leave their homes as water levels reached heights
not seen since 1988.
Hashed Al Shaabi? They're on the Iraqi payroll. The previous prime minister, Hayder al-Abadi, put them on it, made them officially part of the Iraqi forces. If they're being paid by the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people are in need of assistance, as Moqtada points out, the Iraqi people should be their focus.
Moqtada's not the only one calling out the Hashed al-Shaabi. MENAFN reports:
Members of Hashd al-Shaabi must break up, emphasized Iraq's former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, head of Al-Wataniya coalition, in a statement.
According to the former prime minister, "the mission of the Hashd al-Shaabi has ended after victory against the [ISIS] terrorist group."
Allawi further presented a plan for members of the paramilitary force to become members of the Iraqi police or military forces.
He added "the dissolution of Hashd al-Shaabi is a move to turn Iraq into a civilian state."
IRAQ—
@AyadAllawi calls for disband Popular Mobilization Forces and empower Iraq army.
Still on the topic of the militias, Margaret Griffis (ANTIWAR.COM) reports an event that took place Sunday, "In Mosul, clashes between police and militia members took place, when the police stopped the militiamen from crossing their checkpoint. The police said that the militiamen had no duties in the area. Two policemen were wounded."
Meanwhile, publisher Julian Assange remains under attack.
This war on wikileaks initiated by democrats to defend actions of past republican government. If you arrest # JulianAssange you have to arrest # bush + # blair how ru trying to get him on Iraq and Afghanistan leaks involving manning? What's worse? A war based on lies or leaking info?
0:01 / 1:17
This is what Julian Assange and Wikileaks are 'guilty' of, exposing the murderous exit of the US military assault on Iraq . States do not have the right to kill willy-nilly. Whistle blowers do us all a service
Nick Gillespi (REASON) offers:
Regardless of how you feel about Assange as a person, there’s no
question that WikiLeaks, founded in 2006, has been central to starting a
salutary era of forced transparency, a time when state and corporate
actors have much more trouble keeping secrets. Forced transparency is
bigger than WikiLeaks, of course. It’s one of the defining dynamics of
our time, riding the same technological wave that gave us Napster and
other innovations that disperse power and information in all sorts of
unauthorized ways. But let’s give credit and praise where it’s due. The
world is better for the fact that it’s harder than ever for governments
to keep their own secrets.
Early exposés by the organization included documents from the Church
of Scientology and East Anglia University’s Climate Research Unit. In
2010, the organization came into its own by publishing a trove of
documents given to it by Chelsea Manning, then an Army intelligence
analyst. Among the things that came to light:
- graphic video of a U.S. Apache helicopter killing Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists;
- 90,000-plus pages of military memos, now known as the Afghan War Diaries, that showed that the Taliban and the Pakistani government were in regular contact and that civilian casualties were far greater than the U.S. officially acknowledged;
- 400,000 pages of documents about the war in Iraq, including revelation of 15,000 unreported civilian deaths and brutal reprisals by Iraqi forces;
- diplomatic cables that showed a wide gulf between the U.S.’s public positions and private analysis.
In the US, US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard has defended Assange. She is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Trump’s criticism of Rep #IlhanOmar is complete hypocrisy. Trump says “WE WILL NEVER FORGET (9/11)!” Yet it is Trump who’s been acting as al-Qaeda’s big brother and protector in Syria, and turned America into the prostitute of AQ's biggest supporter—the Saudis #WeWillNeverForget
My flight delayed from LAX for hours because Chicago is covered in snow. Winter is coming. In April. Are you ready? #GameofThrones
– at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
– at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
What a historic comeback! Congratulations, Tiger. #TheMasters
Trump is shamelessly trying to foment religious bigotry against #IlhanOmar & all Muslims, based on the horrendous actions of a few individuals claiming to be Muslim. This is the very definition of religious bigotry & Trump is fomenting it for political gain. Dangerous & sad
I met a mom whose son was born with a heart defect. The fear of being unable to afford sudden, major heart surgery has shaped this family’s life in many tragic ways. I promised this mom that I’ll fight for her son and all Americans to make Medicare for All who want it a reality.
Insulin is overpriced and it’s killing Americans. Between 1997 and 2017, Big Pharma increased the price of insulin over 1,000%. People are dying because they can’t afford insulin. #PeopleBeforeProfits
The foreign policy establishment and military industrial complex wage one regime change war after another under the guise of humanitarianism—wars that INCREASE the people’s suffering and devastation in those countries, and strengthen jihadists like al-Qaeda.
Assange Arrest: The message is clear. To journalists and all Americans, if you try to take away our power, you will pay a high price.
The purpose of arresting #JulianAssange is to send a message to the people, especially journalists, to be quiet and don’t get out of line. If we, the people, allow the government to control us through fear, we are no longer free, we are no longer America.
The arrest of #JulianAssange is meant to send a message to all Americans and journalists: be quiet, behave, toe the line. Or you will pay the price.
She is one of six women seeking the party's presidential nomination.
Marianne on reparations from her CNN Town Hall Tonight: "This country will not heal until we take a serious moral inventory… Racism is a character defect. Let’s fix this. Let’s solve this."
Marianne knocked it out of the park on her CNN Town Hall tonight. She got to show America the powerhouse that she is. Please help us spread her message far and wide by donating to the campaign. It takes millions of dollars and we need your help.
"On guns: I support 2nd amendment rights, however we know they were talking about a well organized militia. We don’t have gun safety legislation because it cuts in to the short term profits of gun manufacturers. That is immoral. That is obscene." Marianne live on CNN Town Hall.
“Economic good does not come from corporate moguls dropping crumbs; it comes from every single American unleashing our dreams.” Marianne live on CNN Town Hall. #williamsontownhall #Marianne2020
Happy Patriots’ Day, Massachusetts – and good luck to everyone running in the #BostonMarathon! Our Commonwealth & our country are cheering for you today.
My bill would let millions of Americans simply sign and return a pre-filled tax form, and require the IRS to create a free online tax preparation and filing service – making #TaxDay easier and cheaper for everyone.
Every year, taxpayers waste too much time and money on tax preparation. And low-income and minority taxpayers are hit the hardest, according to a new report that @SenDuckworth and I requested:
Filing your taxes is complicated and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Congress should pass my Tax Filing Simplification Act, which I’m re-introducing today.
I’m really proud of what our team and this community have built so far—and we're just getting started.
Why not train the next generation in the STEM jobs we need to strengthen our economy and combat climate change? Why not invent our way into the future?
As a Senator who represents 9/11 victims, I can't accept any minimizing of that pain. But Trump's dangerous rhetoric against @IlhanMN is disgusting. It’s a false choice to suggest we can’t fight terrorism and reject Islamophobic hate at once—a president should do both.
Happy 103rd birthday, Beverly Cleary! Thank you for creating iconic characters who were adventurous and brave, unruly and unstoppable all at once—and expanding our idea of what a girl can be.
Our oceans are warming. Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. Climate change is real and we must act now. That’s why I support the Green New Deal.
We will strengthen the middle class and ensure Medicare for All is a reality. We will fight for all Americans and make our democracy work for the people. Chip in today to join the fight.
Black women are facing a maternal health crisis. The only way to solve this is to speak the truth and act: This is a public health crisis. Thank you, Reps. Adams and Underwood for fighting to make sure Black women are heard.
I am sick and tired of Republican politicians restricting women’s access to reproductive health care, especially abortion. We have got to build a coalition of Americans who will fight to ensure women get the care they need.
Article on my visit to Iowa ethanol plant. The oil waivers from this administration didn’t stop w/EPA Secretary Pruitt leaving. The problem for midwest continues w/dozens of RFS waivers given to cos. like Chevron& Exxon. As President I would change that.
Donald Trump is coming to Minnesota tomorrow — tune in now to Amy’s press conference: facebook.com/amyklobuchar/v…
Exactly! Flora and pharma: A better landscape on prescription drug costs begins to bloom.
Amy Klobuchar Retweeted
Thank you to @CWABoulder for a great conversation this evening....climate change, democracy, infrastructure, student loans...we covered it all. Great crowd and a warm welcome in Colorado. Be back soon!
