(2021-04-04). The World After COVID. counterpunch.org 
The stalwart left-wing publisher OR Books has firmly established itself as go-to source for titles that challenge the status quo and suggest options for moving beyond our current ruts. Two new collections from OR do just that. Everything Must Change: The World After COVID-19 collects political conversations among political activists, artists, and academics about how
(2021-04-04). Canadian Ties to U.S. Empire: Lester Pearson and the Myth of Canada as Peaceable Kingdom. globalresearch.ca 
Read part I here: | |
(2021-04-04). Iranian Deputy FM Rules Out Talks With US In Vienna. eurasiareview.com 
Iran is not going to hold any talks with US representatives directly or indirectly at an upcoming session of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said. | The senior Iranian diplomat told IRINN on Sunday that Iran will not hold any negotiations with the US in the upcoming meeting of the JCPOA parties in Austria. | Following the 18th meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission that was held via videoconference on Friday, the participants decided to proceed with the talks in Vienna next week to continue the consultations and define the measures relating to the termination…
(2021-04-04). Peace With Iran Is Tricky: Is Biden Making It Impossible? dissidentvoice.org 
American policy toward Iran has long been stupid and self-defeating. Anyone here not see that? Anyone here think that's a necessary state of affairs? OK, it's true that stupid, self-defeating policy toward Iran is an American tradition of more than 70 years standing. And yes, it has had some short-term benefits, enriching the Shah's thugocracy …
(2021-04-04). Iran Regime's Nuclear Deal Puzzle — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh* | The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal was a product of the balance of power in 2015. At that time, it was unclear whether the Iranian regime would acquire a nuclear weapon in the next few months. Then-US President Barack Obama was willing for the deal to happen. The idea of Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry was that, if they agreed terms with Iran, then the regime could be managed, its foreign policy could be changed, and it would be a more moderate force in the region. | Those beliefs proved to be illusions as there are no moderates inside Iran. Instea…
(2021-04-04). "We Did Not Know… that There is an International Law" orinocotribune.com By Michel Raimbaud — Apr 2, 2021 | In March 1991, Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which had just imploded under a coalition led by Washington, began its descent into hell. It would remain for a long time under close surveillance and embargo. Meanwhile, between a mirage of "glasnost" and a wave of "perestroika," Gorbachev's USSR, floundering in dreams of the West, was soon to sink and fall apart. America already saw itself as "the most powerful Empire the earth has brought forth" and readied itself to make those who did not understand it pay dearly. After pretending to seek a peaceful outcome that would spare Iraq hum…
(2021-04-04). Three Colombian Navy Platoons Deployed at Border with Venezuela to 'Reinforce Security'. orinocotribune.com Last Thursday, April 1, the government of Colombia deployed three platoons of the Colombian navy in the department of Arauca on the Colombia-Venezuela border, with the alleged mission of "guaranteeing border security and providing protection to the Colombian population." Incidentally, Arauca is the region from where Colombian narco-paramilitary gangs routinely violate Venezuelan sovereignty and security of the Venezuelan people. | According to a note published by Webinfomil last Thursday, this group, comprised of 90 soldiers, has as "main objective the defense of sovereignty, independence, integrity of the nation…
(2021-04-04). Jorge Arreaza: Iván Duque is Not Used to Reading but to Lying. orinocotribune.com On Saturday, April 3, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza Montserrat advised Colombian president Iván Duque to stop lying about the so-called "Cartel of the Suns" (Cartel de los Soles). He recommended that someone read to him about the rigorous investigation which has revealed that the United States and his own government supported and publicized that lie based on an unprecedented media plot. | "It is known that Iván Duque is not used to reading, but he is used to lying," Arreaza wrote on his Twitter account, @jaarreaza. "Perhaps someone can read to him this rigorous work by a Spanish researcher, wh…
(2021-04-04). Saudi-led Coalition Deployed Patriot Air-Defense Systems In Yemen's Ma'rib. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | The Saudi-led coalition has deployed US-made MIM-104 Patriot air-defense systems in the central Yemeni province of Ma'rib, al-Mashhad al-Khaleeji reported on April 3. | A military source in the coalition told the news outlet that the systems were deployed in Ma'rib city center."A number of Patriot defense systems of the Arab coalition recently arrived in Ma'rib city," the source, who was not named, said. | The source said that the systems will be used to protect urban areas in Ma'rib from the Houthi (A…
(2021-04-04). Military Situation In Yemen On April 4, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 3, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Salif area | On April 3, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on the Khab and Shaaf area | On April 3, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 12 airstrikes on the Sarwah area | On April 3, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Boqa area | On April 3, Ansar Allah reportedly captured al-Ahkum area in south of Hayfan district | On April 4, clashes between Ansar Allah an…
(2021-04-04). Nowhere To Hide: Rocket Attack Hits Base Hosting US Troops In Iraq. southfront.org 
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE | On April 4, a rocket attack targeted Balad Air Base in Iraq's central region. US troops are known to be deployed in the base. | An Iraqi security source told that al-Ain News that two rockets hit the air base, which is located 64 km to the north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad."The two rockets feel near the outer fence of the base, causing no human or material losses," the UAE-based TV channel quoted the source as saying. | Sabereen News, a Telegram channel linked to Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq, sa…
(2021-04-04). Two letters to the editor on the pandemic lockdown. indybay.org Our collective thinking has often been manipulated and corrupted (eg Vietnam, Iraq, Nicaragua, Iran). According to GlobalResearch.ca, the WHO made a late admission on Jan 20, 2021 that "the lockdown has no scientific basis" and test results are misleading. "Release the vaccines and put an end to the lockdown," urges Jens Berger, editor of nachdenkseiten.de.
(2021-04-04). May First joins call for Free Software Foundation Board resignation. indybay.org May First Movement Technology has joined free software organizations and activists in calling for the resignation of Richard Stallman and the rest of the Board of the Free Software Foundation.
(2021-04-04). Friday 4/2: Virtual Forum: 60-year Blockade on Cuba & Unions Fight for Safe Schools. indybay.org bit.ly/education4thepeople…
(2021-04-04). Black Lives Matter's Hawk Newsome Appalled By Lack Of Coverage Of Houthi Massacre Of Ethiopians. eurasiareview.com 
The horrific deaths of scores of Ethiopian migrants in a detention center in Sanaa run by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia is further proof that anti-black racism exists on every continent, according to Hawk Newsome, a founding member of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Greater New York. | Racial tensions and the deaths of black people in police custody have provoked repeated bouts of protest and unrest in the US and Europe in recent years. | Newsome played a key role in the worldwide movement that has rocked US cities since the police killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. | During…
(2021-04-04). Jordan: Who are the people arrested over the alleged coup plot? middleeasteye.net 
Jordan: Who are the people arrested over the alleged coup plot? | The Saudi connections of two detained male associates of Prince Hamzah have sparked speculation about Riyadh's relationship with Amman | Sun, 04/04/2021 – 16: 08 | Former head of the royal court Bassem Awadallah was arrested by Jordanian forces on 3 April for "security reasons". (Pictured June 2006, AFP) | On Saturday eve…
(2021-04-04). What Christians can Learn from the Qur'an's denial that Jews bore Responsibility for Christ's Crucifixion. juancole.com 
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Through Christian history, and especially since Christians became numerous and powerful as the Roman Empire adopted the faith as its state religion, Jews have been senselessly victimized around Easter and falsely blamed for the killing of Christ. Interestingly, the Qur'an denies that the Jews were at fault in Jesus' execution. …
(2021-04-03). Fake News Warfare in Venezuela: Now an Alleged Morgue Collapse Due to COVID-19. orinocotribune.com 
Friday, April 2, social media networks in Venezuela were once again the center of a debate in which users revealed a case of fake news. The action began with photographs that were circulated depicting an alleged "COVID-19 death surge" in the Bello Monte morgue in Caracas. | The issue became a trending topic at a time when the country is going through a second wave of coronavirus infections. On the same day, for example, 1,254 new positive cases, and 13 deaths from the illness were reported. |
(2021-04-03). Mexico: Women Rights Activists Protest Over Femicides. telesurenglish.net Women rights activists took to the streets in Mexico City to protest recent femicides in the State of Quintana Roo and the murder of Salvadorean migrant Victoria Salazar. | RELATED: | Chanting "Victoria did not die, the police killed her!" and "My friends take care of me, not the police", activists marched from the Revolution Monument to the "Paseo de la Reforma" street. | NGO Marabunta Humanitarian Brigade accompanied the…
(2021-04-03). La Victoria and El Ripial Calm and Under Military Protection (Apure State). orinocotribune.com 
The commander of the Strategic Integral Defense Region (REDI) Los Llanos, General Alejandro Guevara Hernández, reported that the people of El Ripial, La Victoria and other areas of the Apure state are "calm and under the protection of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB)." | He also informed that the inhabitants of these communities are receiving food, medicine and other necessary items from the social programs of the Venezuelan government. In addition, electrical services and water supply in the regions have already been restored. | La FANB continua desplegada garantizando la paz, la tranquilidad y en cons…
(2021-04-03). Latest Developments in Apure: Families Displaced in Border Clashes Return to Their Homes in El Ripial. orinocotribune.com Inhabitants of El Ripial town in Apure state, who were displaced due to clashes between the Venezuelan military and Colombian paramilitary gangs over the last few days, are returning home with support from the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) deployment protecting the border zones. El Ripial is one of the localities from which the Venezuelan military has expelled Colombian armed narco-paramilitary gangs. This follows violent actions committed by the said criminal groups, reported from multiple locations close to the Colombia-Venezuela border in Apure. | Last week, facing violence from the Colombian narco-te…
(2021-04-03). Violence Escalates on the Border Between Venezuela and Colombia. globalresearch.ca Once again, tensions are rising on the border between Venezuela and …
(2021-04-03). Over objections of Dem Hawks, Biden agrees to indirect Talks with Iran in Vienna to return to the 2015 Nuclear Deal. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — AFP reports that an arrangement was reached at Friday's teleconference in Vienna between the current signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to mediate indirect talks between Iran and the United States next week. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US had agreed to participate in the discussions …
(2021-04-03). Austin rallies in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day. fightbacknews.org Austin, TX – On March 30, around 30 students and activists from all over Austin converged on the State Capitol building in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day. The action was organized by Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), a local group dedicated to organizing in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against the Israeli occupation. | PSC was joined by many local groups including Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Red Aid, and the United Neighborhood Defense Movement, among others. | As various speakers explained, Land Day is a commemoration of March 30, 1976 when – after the Israeli oc…
(2021-04-03). US Values Vs Chinese Values: Empire Vs Bandung As Seen From Cape Verde — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
In February the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinkin, made it a priority to phone Rui Figueiredo, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister of Cape Verde. They spoke about commerce and "security" (1). | Why? Why is the tiny African nation of Cape Verde (population 550,000) a US priority? In short: because the US is behind China in the latest "scramble for Africa". | To rectify its position, vis-à -vis China, in Africa (and elsewhere): "U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to put values at the heart of his administration's China policy. Since entering office, he has called on the world's democracies to gird for a n…
(2021-04-03). Jordan: Former Head Of Royal Court, Other Senior Officials Arrested. eurasiareview.com 
Jordanian citizens Hasan bin Zaid and Bassem Awadallah, who is a former head of the Jordanian Royal Court, have been arrested, Jordan News Agency reported. | The arrests were made after close security follow-ups and "for security reasons," the agency reported. | Jordan News Agency said Prince Hamza bin Al-Hussein was not one of the people detained, despite reports in some publications, including the Washington Post, which claimed he had been arrested. | Saudi Arabia expressed the Kingdom's support for Jordan and any measures that the country takes to protect it's security, Al-Ekhbariya reported.
(2021-04-03). OPEC+ Agrees On Gradual Output Increase. eurasiareview.com 
The 15th Under the agreement, Opec+, which includes Russia, will increase output by 350,000 barrels a day in both May and June and by 441,000 barrels a day in July. Over the same period, Saudi Arabia will gradually unwind additional cuts of 1 million barrels a day that it has been making voluntarily, reports said. | It's estimated that Opec+ has been withholding 8 million barrels a day from the market. | Reports said Russia…
(2021-04-03). No Talks Needed For US Return To Iran Nuclear Deal. popularresistance.org Last month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that Tehran is in "no hurry" to return to its obligations under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and is prepared to wait until the US lifts its illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic. | Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has stated that a possible US decision to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, also known asthe Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), does not require any talks. | Speaking to the deal's remaining signatories during a virtual meeting on Friday, Araqchi added that "Iran will suspend its steps [scaling back compliance…
(2021-04-03). Iran Rules Out US Claim of "Step-by-Step" Lifting of Sanctions. telesurenglish.net "As has been clearly stated many times, no step-by-step plan is being considered," Khatibzadeh told Press TV. | RELATED: | "The definitive policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the lifting of all US sanctions, whether those which Trump reimposed after withdrawing from the JCPOA or those which he initiated, as well as sanctions imposed under any other heading," he said. | His remarks came in response to claims…
(2021-04-03). Venezuelan Minister for Defense: Colombia is Using PsyOps and Media Warfare to Undermine Venezuelan Army. orinocotribune.com This Friday, April 2, Venezuelan Minister for Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, denounced the use of psyops and media manipulation on the part of the Colombian government to defend its economic interests, create unrest among the Venezuelan population, manipulate public opinion at the international level and thus destabilize Venezuela. | On his Twitter account @vladimirpadrino, he wrote that "this conflict, in which the Republic makes legitimate use of its weapons to expel the groups that want to use our territory for bastard purposes, is accompanied by other weapons that seek various objectives: | 1 Defend the eco…
(2021-04-03). Saudi-led Coalition Claims It Foiled Houthi Attack With Booby-Trapped Boat. southfront.org 
Illustrative image, Via: al-Arabiya | On April 3, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had thwarted an attempt by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) to carry out an attack with a booby-trapped boat. | In a statement, the coalition said that the water-borne Improvised Explosive Devices (WBIED) was destroyed off the shores of the town of al-Salif on Yemen's western coast from a safe distance."The Houthi militia threat to shipping lines and global trade continues … The militia uses the Stockholm Agreement [which imposed a…
(2021-04-03). Saudi-led Coalition Keeps Airstriking, As The Houthis Are Unrelenting On All Fronts. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 2nd and 3rd, hostilities in Yemen continued with increased intensity. | Ansar Allah, or as they are colloquially known — the Houthis — attacked a position that's been seldom mentioned. | They used a missile to target the Kanayis Airbase, behind enemy lines in Saudi Arabia. | Heavy clashes are continuing in both the Madghal district and the Hayfan district. | This means that the situation remains tense and contested both in southern, as well as in central Yemen. | The Hout…