Daily Archives: October 26, 2020

2020-10-26: News Headlines

_____ (2020-10-26). Chomsky: OPCW Cover-Up of Syria Probe Is 'Shocking'. strategic-culture.org Noam Chomsky says that the OPCW's cover-up, under US pressure, of a Syria chemical weapons probe raises "very severe suspicions." | Aaron MATÉ | In his first public comments on the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal, Noam Chomsky criticizes the chemical watchdog for suppressing, under US pressure, evidence that undermined the pretext for the US-led bombing of Syria in April 2018. The censorship recently extended to the UN Security Council, where the US, UK, and France blocked former OPCW Director General José Bustani from testifying in support of the inspectors whose findings were kept from the public. | "What happene…

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-26). Azeris Using Banned Cluster Munitions in Nagorno-Karabakh. globalresearch.ca According to reports on the ground, Azeris are using Israeli-supplied cluster munitions in Nagorno-Karabakh. | More on this below. | *** | The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) bans production use, transfer, and stockpiling of these terror weapons that scatter submunition bomblets …

Ed Lehman (2020-10-26). Pan-Canadian Day of Action Opposes Plan to Buy Fighter Jets, Drones. globalresearch.ca On October 2 Canadian peace activists held their second pan-Canadian Day of Action against the purchase of 88 new fighter jets. At some locations activists also underscored their objections to the purchase of 12 armed drones at a projected cost …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-26). Slovenian left party Levica protests government's refusal to hold referendum on military purchases. peoplesdispatch.org The Slovenian government refused a demand by Levica to hold a referendum on a proposal to procure weapons worth USD 925.28 million. Levica plans to challenge the decision in the constitutional court…

Carla Stea (2020-10-25). US-China Confrontation: The Hijacking of the United Nations Security Council Continues. globalresearch.ca Former OPCW Director-General Bustani Banned From Speaking At UN Security Council | October 5: Western Delegations Oppose Presentation of Evidence that OPCW Report Of Chemical Weapons Attack on Douma, Syria May Have Been Falsified. | October 21: In New York Post Article, …

Newsclick (2020-10-25). Will the US be allowed to colonize space? peoplesdispatch.org The USA has floated the Artemis Accords to explore the Moon for commercial purposes. Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha sheds light on the USA's weapons proliferation to control ground, sea, air and space…

news.un (2020-10-25). UN treaty banning nuclear weapons set to enter into force in January. news.un.org In what leading campaigners are describing as "a new chapter for nuclear disarmament", the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will now come into force on 22 January, after Honduras became the 50th Member State to ratify on Saturday.

_____ (2020-10-24). UN Nuclear Ban Treaty One Ratification Shy Of Taking Effect. popularresistance.org Jamaica and Nauru are the latest countries to complete the ratification procedures, the United Nations said. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted in 2017, will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries and regions. | Although the pact will not be able to legally require nuclear power states to get rid of their arsenals, the launch of the world's first treaty banning nuclear weapons is likely to gain global momentum toward reducing stockpiles. | According to an official with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), another country is expe…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-23). European Hypocrisy: Empty Words for Palestine, Deadly Weapons for Israel. counterpunch.org In theory, Europe and the United States stand on completely opposite sides when it comes to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. While the US government has fully embraced the tragic status quo created by 53 years of Israeli military occupation, the EU continues to advocate a negotiated settlement that is predicated on respect for international

RT (2020-10-23). Israel will not oppose US-UAE deal on 'specific weapons systems,' says Netanyahu, despite previous worry over F-35 jets. rt.com The Israeli government says it will not oppose the US selling "specific weapons systems" to the United Arab Emirates, in an apparent reference to F-35 fighter jets, despite Tel Aviv opposing such a deal less than a fortnight ago. | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz This is despite Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen saying less than two weeks ago that the country would oppose the sale of the fifth-generat…

WSWS (2020-10-23). Right-wing groups sue Michigan over ban on weapons at polling stations. wsws.org Three right-wing organizations have filed a lawsuit to overturn Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's order banning open carry of firearms at polling stations.

_____ (2020-10-23). Guess Who Arms Both Azerbaijan And Armenia. popularresistance.org This war between Azerbaijan and Armenia is, quite typically, a U.S. war even if the U.S. public doesn't think so, even if the news is that the United States is trying to negotiate peace — news that includes zero mention of cutting off the weapons flow or even threatening to cut off the weapons flow. The Washington Post would like to send in the U.S. military — which it thinks is a simple and obvious solution. That claim is dependent on nobody even thinking of the idea of cutting off the weapons. This is not a Trump war or an Obama war.

Anita Raj (2020-10-23). [Research Paper] Gun violence in the U.S.: It is past time we listen to the voices of women and black communities. thelancet.com The United States (U.S.) presidential election is upon us at a time when the nation faces increasing polarization on many issues, including guns and violence, and our presidential candidates reflect this polarization. The incumbent Republican Nominee, Donald Trump, warns voters that his opponent will "take away your guns (and) destroy your Second Amendment," which secures the right of the people to keep and bear firearms [1]. Democratic nominee and former Vice President under Barack Obama, Joe Biden, in fact includes in his platform a commitment to effective gun control policies, including banning assault weapons…

RT (2020-10-22). India completes successful test of its own 3rd-gen anti-tank missile, in bid to end reliance on foreign weapons. rt.com Amid ongoing border tensions with China, India's defense agency has completed the final test of its third-generation anti-tank missile, which is now set to be deployed by its army. | On Thursday, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced that the Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), intended for use in the four-kilometer range, has successfully completed its final trial and is now ready for deployment to the frontline. | Final user trial of 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG was carried out today on 22 Oct 2020 at 0645 hrs from Pokhran range. The missile was integra…

Carl Takei (2020-10-22). When Black Mourners are Threatened with Official Violence. aclu.org In early June, as people around the globe joined in massive protests against the police brutality and racism that killed him, George Floyd was laid to rest at the same Pearland, Texas cemetery where his mother is buried. Led by a horse-drawn carriage containing his body, George Floyd's grieving family and hundreds of supporters walked slowly from the church to the burial ceremony. , , What they did not know is that on the rooftops above them, six teams of snipers were positioned to fire on the crowd of mourners. Manned surveillance aircraft and drones circled in the sky above. And hundreds of local and state…