Daily Archives: July 4, 2020

2020-07-04: News Headlines

Anand Naidoo (2020-07-04). The Heat: Iran arms embargo. america.cgtn.com The United States threatens Iran with military force to stop the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.

RT (2020-07-03). British MoD taught Saudi troops how to 'stay popular with the press,' as 100s trained in UK last year — report. rt.com Amid the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, some of its soldiers were taught in the UK how to look good in front of the world's media in case of any "potential wrongdoing," a new report says. | Ministry of Defence data published by Declassified UK reveals that hundreds of Saudis entered the country for training at six Royal Air Force (RAF) sites in 2019. As the Saudis arrived, their country's campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels entered its fourth year, and a ban on UK-made weapons exports to the desert kingdom came into effect, in response to growing human-rights concerns. | Although the UK's training of…

RT (2020-07-03). Star Wars? Russia's new S-500 has SPACE DEFENSE abilities, can destroy hypersonic weapons & satellites in low-Earth orbit. rt.com Russia's upcoming S-500 anti-missile system will be unrivaled by any other similar technology in the world, a top military official has said. It is also the first in a new class of space-defense weaponry. | The main task of the S-500 is neutralizing mid-range ballistic missiles, but it can also bring down the warheads of intercontinental missiles, as well as warplanes, drones and more, Sergey Surovkin, the commander of Russia's Aerospace Forces,

Ellen Taylor (2020-07-03). The US Military Has Its Knee on the Throat of the World. counterpunch.org The 2021 Defense Budget is making its way through Congress. The annual drama of this event has always been of particular interest to residents of the north Pacific Coast, as the US Navy's nursery lies only twelve miles off our coast. This is where many of the weapons purchased by Congress take their first baby

Stephen Miles (2020-07-03). The Democrat's Hawkish, Dead-End Foreign Policy Is Also Very Bad Politics. commondreams.org Among some of the most powerful Democrats in the House, Rep. Eliot Engel (NY-16) (far left) was just defeated in a primary; Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD-5) (center), the House Majority Leader; and Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28) (right), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, all have received massive support from the weapons industry and pro-war lobbyists. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gty-hoyer-engel-schiff-rc-170215_16x9_992_0.jpg

teleSUR (2020-07-03). Trial of Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Begins in Turkey. telesurenglish.net A Turkish court Friday opened the trial of 20 Saudis indicted over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | RELATED: | The indictment accuses the former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence, Ahmed al Asiri, and former royal court adviser Saud al Qahtani of instigating "premeditated murder with monstrous intent," prosecutors had said in March. | Eighteen other defendants are also accused of…

yenisafak (2020-07-03). Growing number of mercenaries to Sirte deepens conflict in Libya: Analysis. yenisafak.com By Ferhat Polat – The writer is a researcher at the TRT World Research CentreOver the past two months, there has been a drastic change on the ground in Libya as forces loyal to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) have pushed Haftar's self-declared Libyan National Army (LNA) to the borders of the coastal city of Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli, and Al-Jufra airbase in central Libya.Since January this year, Turkey has intervened determinedly in the Libyan conflict, providing air support, weapons, and technical assistance to the UN-backed government, and this Turkish support has rec…

John Malkin (2020-07-02). Oakland Police Banned from Using Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets, Grenades at Protests. indybay.org Interview with Walter Riley, civil rights attorney with the National Lawyers Guild, on the June 18, 2020 temporary restraining order banning Oakland police from using tear gas, rubber bullets, flash bang grenades and other "battlefield weapons" during current Black Lives Matter protests.

RT (2020-07-02). Moscow hits back at Pompeo's 'Russia arming Taliban' jibe, says Afghan government has been only recipient of Russian weapons. rt.com The sovereign government in Kabul is the sole entity on Afghan soil that has received Russian weaponry, Moscow has insisted. The statement comes after Mike Pompeo bluntly accused it of funnelling weapons to Taliban militants. | "Russia has only supplied arms to the legitimate government of Afghanistan — something that is well known", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. | The diplomat was taking aim at US Secretary of State Pompeo, who pulled no punches when talking about Russia this Wednesday. | "The Russians have been providing weapons to the Taliban for an awful lot…

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-02). "Russia is Paying the Taliban": Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. globalresearch.ca The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction. | *** | Based on anonymous intelligence …

_____ (2020-07-02). Anti-Russia War Fever Spreads On Capitol Hill. popularresistance.org Groups of congressional Republicans and Democrats have visited the White House over the past two days for briefings on allegations that the Russian military intelligence agency GRU offered bounties to Taliban fighters who killed American soldiers in Afghanistan. | They have emerged bristling with demands for retaliation, with one Republican senator declaring, "I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bags"—in other words, for military action by the United States against Russia, possessor of the world's second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. | The "Russian bounties" campaign is a fa…

yenisafak (2020-07-02). Turkish firms to produce unmanned mini-tank. yenisafak.com Turkish defense firms Aselsan and Katmerciler have signed an agreement to produce an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), according to a press release issued on Thursday.Under the deal, worth nearly $671,000, Katmerciler will start delivering the UGV, also known as a "mini-tank," in 2021, the firm said in the statement. The vehicle and all of its parts, including the remote-control system, were developed by Katmerciler, it said.The mini-tank can be fitted with several types of equipment, such as observation, targeting, and weapons systems, Katmerciler said.The UGV can operate in difficult climatic and road conditions,…

Mandy Smithberger (2020-07-01). COVID-19 Means Good Times for the Pentagon. counterpunch.org In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Washington has initiated its largest spending binge in history. In the process, you might assume that the unparalleled spread of the disease would have led to a little rethinking when it came to all the trillions of dollars Congress has given the Pentagon in these years that have in

Alan Macleod (2020-07-01). Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. mintpressnews.com The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction.

yenisafak (2020-07-01). India using helicopter, drones to stop locust spread. yenisafak.com India has deployed helicopters for spraying pesticides to combat locust swarms attacking crops across nine states.Last week, swarms of locusts landed in Gurugram, a satellite city of the capital Delhi, forcing the authorities to take action."A Bell Helicopter with spray equipment was sent to northern state of Rajasthan on Tuesday. The helicopter stationed at Air Force Station (IAF), Barmer will be used in different areas of the state," said an official statement.The helicopter will carry 250 liters of pesticide in one trip and can cover about 25 to 50 hectares in one flight."Order has also been placed for five ae…