Daily Archives: October 7, 2020

2020-10-07: News Headlines

Aaron Maté (2020-10-07). OPCW Syria whistleblower and ex-OPCW chief attacked by US, UK, France at UN. thegrayzone.com At the UN Security Council, the US, UK and France were confronted with testimony from OPCW whistleblower Ian Henderson and ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani that challenged the rationale for their bombing of Syria in April 2018. They responded by attacking and silencing the witnesses. Aaron Maté recaps the extraordinary events. Ian Henderson, a veteran OPCW inspector who challenged a cover-up of his organization's investigation of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, recently testified before the United Nations Security Council. …

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-07). Saudi Arabia biggest buyer of UK arms in West Asia: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 07 (MNA) — A new report by the British government indicates that the UK is the second-largest arms exporter over the past decade and the biggest buyer of these weapons is West Asia, especially Saudi Arabia.

Alan MacLeod (2020-10-06). Abraham Accord: Experts Warn Trump Peace Deal a Precursor to War with Iran. thealtworld.com Experts warn that the Accord is motivated by a desire to secure a united front against Iran for a potential future war — a conflict that would likely make Iraq and Afghanistan look mild by comparison. | MPN— On paper at least, last month's U.S.-sponsored agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were all about peace. But behind the headlines, a darker, much more worrying picture of regional alliances, weapons deals, destabilization campaigns, and messianic prophecies emerge. | The Abraham Accord, as it is known, is likely to expand the power of Gulf dictatorships and increase the…

RT (2020-10-06). OPCW says it found traces of Novichok-class substance in blood & urine samples of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. rt.com The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Tuesday that it's found evidence of a poisonous substance from the Novichok group in blood and urine samples of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny. | As a result, the German government — which requested the study — says it intends to work out a response in collaboration with other European Union members. It looks likely that the situation will lead to a new front opening in the sanctions war. On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he expected the EU to impose penalties against Russia if the presence of Nov…

RT (2020-10-06). Russia slams 'disgraceful' ban on founding OPCW chief speaking at UN Security Council on Syria, PUBLISHES his speech unilateraly. rt.com An ex-OPCW chief, sacked under US pressure, has been barred from briefing the UN Security Council about a controversial probe into an alleged 2018 chemical attack in Syria. Russia called it a "shame" and published his speech. | Jose Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat who led the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 1997 until 2002, was invited by Moscow to speak at a UN Security Council meeting about the so-called "Syrian chemical dossier," but his appearance was blocked at the last minute by Belgium, Germany, Estonia, France, the US and the UK. | "What has happened now is yet more sad…

Charlie Savage (2020-10-06). Nicholson Baker's Maddening Search for the Truth. thenation.com Denied access to files about the use of chemical weapons during the Cold War, the novelist's transformed his new book into a study of how America keeps its secrets.

sputniknews (2020-10-06). 'Persistent Eye in the Sky': Spy Drones Deployed Abroad Are Being Modified to Police US Cities. sputniknews.com Spy drones developed for use in US foreign wars have begun appearing over US cities as police forces and defense contractors push for new, lucrative contracts. One peace activist told Sputnik that the fights against their use abroad and their use at home should never have been separate, and are intricately linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.

sputniknews (2020-10-06). Goal of Campaign Around Navalny Is to Create Pretext for Sanctions Against Russia – Envoy. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The goal of the campaign around Russian political opposition figure Alexei Navalny is to create a pretext for additional sanctions against Russia, said Alexander Shulgin, Russia's Permanent Envoy to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), at the 95th session of the organization's Executive Council.

sputniknews (2020-10-06). Videos: US Couple Indicted After Brandishing, Pointing Firearms at Protesters. sputniknews.com Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the gun-wielding couple that made national headlines for brandishing their weapons at protesters back in June, were indicted Tuesday by a grand jury on a variety of charges that stemmed from their viral stance against Missouri demonstrators.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-05). Peace Groups Blockade Creech Air Force Base to Protest 'Illegal and Inhumane Remote Killing' by US Drones. commondreams.org One CodePink protester said she hopes the week-long protest "will teach the soldiers that they must take control of and understand the consequences of their actions." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screech_0.jpg

WSWS (2020-10-05). Foreword to 30 Years of War, the German edition of David North's A Quarter Century of War. wsws.org After three decades of US-led wars, the outbreak of a third world war, whichwould be fought with nuclear weapons, is an imminent and concrete danger. Based on a thorough understanding of the wars of the past three decades and the socioeconomic and political processes in which they were rooted, this book develops a socialist perspective for the struggle against war.

sputniknews (2020-10-05). 'Desperate': Trump May Extend New START to Bolster 'Dealmaker' Image Amid Pandemic. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump may seek to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia to draw attention away from his administration's poor COVID-19 response, Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector and weapons of mass destruction whistleblower, told Radio Sputnik.