Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2019-10-22). Trump\'s Fake Withdrawal From Endless War. counterpunch.org On Monday, October 7th, the U.S. withdrew 50 to 100 troops from positions near Syria\'s border with Turkey, and two days later Turkey invaded Rojava, the de facto autonomous Kurdish region of northeast Syria. Trump is now taking credit for a temporary, tenuous ceasefire. In a blizzard of tweets and statements, Donald Trump has portrayed More

RT (2019-10-22). \'Outrageous\': Bernie rejects Hillary Clinton\'s \'foreign asset\' smear on Tulsi Gabbard. rt.com Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has come to the defense of fellow Democratic contender Tulsi Gabbard, batting away claims — spread by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — that the dovish candidate is a \"foreign asset.\" | The progressive stalwart from Vermont took to Twitter on Monday to reject any suggestion Gabbard worked for a foreign power, as Clinton implied in a recent interview, insisting her patriotic bonafides as a combat veteran were beyond question. | \"Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line to defend…

RT (2019-10-22). Pentagon to create \'AI assistant\' to help tank crews navigate & MAKE DECISIONS in battle. rt.com The US Army is working on all-seeing artificial intelligence that would analyze combat data and calculate how to gain supremacy in tank warfare. The project was launched amid growing concerns about using AI in real war. | The brand new program, dubbed Project Quarterback, is aimed at providing tank crews with an AI assistant that would gather all available battlefield data, analyze it and suggest the best way to take out an enemy, Defense One reported. The effort would radically speed up the decision-making in combat, as the AI would collect data from satellites, drones, radars and soldiers\' body cams. | \"Simp…

Marshall Auerback (2019-10-22). Will the GOP Become the Party of Blue-Collar Conservatism? counterpunch.org From the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt onward through to the 1990s, the Democrats had long been considered the party of the working class. That perception lingered long after the fact that by the 1990s, they had more accurately become the party of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, often embracing policies at variance with their More

Staff (2019-10-22). The US Tore the Middle East Apart. Can They Abandon It on a Whim? therealnews.com The Kurds fought in U.S. wars. Iraq and Syria are dismembered. Why is no one talking about diplomacy and aid?

Roger D. Harris (2019-10-22). Greater Middle East Project of Chaos: The Management of Savagery. mintpressnews.com The refugee crises coming out of the Middle East, generated by the forever wars and accompanying economic sanctions (more accurately, illegal unilateral coercive measures), have consequently fueled xenophobia both in the US and abroad. This, in turn, has fostered an ascendant wave of rightists. \"Trump\'s election,\" author Max Blumenthal contends, \"would not have been possible without 9/11 and the subsequent military interventionism conceived by the national security state.\"

Dean Baker (2019-10-22). Trump Declares Victory in China Trade War. counterpunch.org Back in the late 1960s, when it was clear that the United States was losing in Vietnam, Vermont Senator George Aiken came up with the plan to declare victory and leave. It seems that Donald Trump has stolen the senator\'s playbook. While we don\'t know much of the details of Trump\'s partial deal with China, More

John Feffer (2019-10-22). Trump\'s Endless Wars. counterpunch.org Donald Trump loves to talk about ending the endless U.S. wars that he inherited as president. He tweets about it. He endlessly criticizes his predecessors for their martial mistakes. But like the old saw about the weather, Trump talks a whole lot about endless wars but doesn\'t do anything about them. Just this month, he More

Joan Walsh (2019-10-22). Everything Keeps Getting Worse for Trump\'s Toadies. thenation.com Giuliani, Mulvaney, and Pompeo are getting in deeper and deeper trouble as the impeachment push accelerates.

Staff (2019-10-22). Diplomat: Trump Linked Ukraine Aid to Demand for Probe. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Ambassador William Taylor provided lawmakers Tuesday with a vivid, detailed and what some lawmakers called \"disturbing\" account of the way President Donald Trump wanted to put the new Ukraine president \"in a public box\" by demanding a quid pro quo at the center of the impeachment probe. | In a lengthy opening statement to House investigators, Taylor described the way Trump\'s demand that \"everything\" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wanted, including vital military aid to counter Russia, hinged on makin…

The Canary (2019-10-22). Budget blow to Chancellor after first September borrowing hike for five years. thecanary.co Chancellor Sajid Javid has been dealt a pre-Budget blow as official figures showed the first September hike in government borrowing for five years.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, rose by £60 million to £9.4 billion year-on-year in September.This marks the first September annual rise in borrowing for five years.Chancellor Sajid Javid is set to deliver the next Budget on November 6 (David Mirzoeff/PA)The borrowing hike comes despite the government receiving a £1.1 billion dividend boost last month from part-nationalised lender…

Gary Leupp (2019-10-22). The Kurds as U.S. Sacrificial Lambs. counterpunch.org How often have we heard in the last few days—from countless retired military officers and intelligence officials, security analysts, think tank talking heads—that the Kurds in Syria \"died for us\"? You know, sort of like Jesus on the cross?nAs though in fighting ISIL–a grotesque by-product of the criminal U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003–the Syrian Kurds were doing anything other than protecting their homeland? More

Janine Jackson (2019-10-22). \'This Is the Latest Chapter of a Long History of US Betrayal of Kurds\' – Khury Petersen-Smith on the Turkish Invasion of Syria. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed IPS\'s Khury Petersen-Smith about the Turkish invasion of Syria for the October 18, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Staff (2019-10-22). Russia, Turkey Seal Power in Northeast Syria With Accord. truthdig.com ANKARA, Turkey — Russia and Turkey announced an agreement Tuesday to jointly patrol almost the entire northeastern Syrian border after the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters, cementing the two countries\' power in Syria in the wake of President Donald Trump\'s abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces. | The announcement came as Kurdish fighters completed their pullout from a section of the Syrian-Turkish border as required by a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that was set to expire Tuesday night. Together the arrangements transform the map of northeast Syria, leaving Turkey in sole control over one section in the middle of the…

Robert Fisk (2019-10-22). Trump and the Retreat of the American Empire. counterpunch.org In days gone by, I used to compare the Trump presidency with the Arab dictatorships. He took preposterous pleasure in the company of Egypt\'s Sisi (60,000 political prisoners) and his inane ramblings had much in common with those of Muammar Gaddafi, who also \"authored\" a book he never wrote but whom Trump never met (albeit that Tony Blair and Gaddafi kissed each other on the cheek). But over the past week, I\'ve begun to realise that the crackpot in the White House has much more in common with ancient Rome. More

Patrick Bond (2019-10-22). Bretton Woods Institutions\' Neoliberal Over-Reach Leaves Global Governance in the Gutter. counterpunch.org Last week\'s annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund was held in Washington, DC, with back-slapping now that the Bretton Woods twins have reached age 75 (they were founded at a New Hampshire hotel in 1944). But no amount of back-slapping can disguise the way these institutions have led the world into More

Robert Hunziker (2019-10-22). XR Co-Founder Discusses Climate Emergency. counterpunch.org Extinction Rebellion (\"XR\") has hit the world stage like a flash of light with participants in more than 70 countries all within one year\'s time. Its allure is simply \"telling the truth\" about the climate crisis… for a change. A breath of fresh air in a world filled with deceit and lies by people in More

The Canary (2019-10-22). Shamima Begum exposed to real risk of torture or death, court told. thecanary.co The decision to revoke the British citizenship of Shamima Begum — one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join Daesh (Isis / Isil) — has exposed her to a \"real risk\" of torture or death, a court has heard.Begum left the UK in February 2015 and lived under Daesh rule for more than three years. She was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February this year.Former home secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her British citizenship, a decision her lawyers argue was unlawful as it rendered her stateless. Such a decision is lawful only if an individual is entitled to…

Staff (2019-10-22). Protests in Haiti: An Overlooked Crisis the World Should Not Ignore. therealnews.com Haiti faces fuel shortages, food shortages, and corruption. Political economist Keston Perry argues that neocolonialism, neoliberalism, and climate injustice are at the root of Haiti\'s instability.

Staff (2019-10-22). \'The View\' Only Has Eyes for Joe Biden. truthdig.com \"I think Joe has gotten a pass at this table because at least a couple of us actually know, know, know him,\" Whoopi Goldberg says.

Miko Peled (2019-10-22). Palestine Lecture Proceeds as Milan Students Stand Up To Zionist Attempt to Block It. mintpressnews.com The police left the premises and the administration did not intervene any further to stop the lecture, which was well attended and proceeded as planned. It was proof that it is possible to stand up and fight the Zionist occupation, and to win.

Staff (2019-10-22). Millionaires\' Grip on the Globe Is Only Tightening. truthdig.com The millionaires of the world, who account for just 0.9 percent of the global population, now own nearly half of the planet\'s $361 trillion in wealth while the bottom 56 percent of the population owns just 1.8 percent. | That\'s according to the annual Global Wealth Report released Monday by Credit Suisse, which found that the number of millionaires in the world grew to 47 million between mid-2018 and mid-2019, with the United States leading the world in both new and total millionaires. | According to Credit Suisse,…

WSWS (2019-10-22). New Zealand government introduces class-based immigration restrictions. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government has imposed draconian restrictions to prevent working class immigrants from bringing their parents to join them in New Zealand.

WSWS (2019-10-22). Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez use \"left\" demagogy to channel opposition to Trump behind Democrats. wsws.org At Sanders\' first rally since his heart attack, he did not mention ongoing strikes by autoworkers and teachers, or the impeachment inquiry against Trump.

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-22). Slow-Motion US/UK Killing of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Establishment media are in cahoots with US/UK ruling regimes against Assange for the \"crime\" of truth-telling journalism abhorred in the West — totalitarian rule where these societies are heading. | In mid-October, UN special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer denounced Assange\'s …

Kevin Zeese (2019-10-22). Anti-Assange Court Continues Unfair Extradition Hearing to Railroad Assange to US. globalresearch.ca On October 21, 2019, Julian Assange appeared in court for an extradition hearing. Assange is being held in a British jail pending extradition to the United States after having served his sentence for skipping bail when he was given asylum …

South Front (2019-10-22). Video: Syrian Army Takes Control of Abandoned US Bases. globalresearch.ca The northeastern Syria ceasefire, agreed by Washington and Ankara, immediately collapsed. Under the terms of the reached agreement, Turkey had to halt its Operation Peace Spring for 120 hours to allow units of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to …

Tom Gallagher (2019-10-22). A Modest Goal: #usoutofafghanistan. commondreams.org Anti-war demonstrators protest against the announcement of a US troop increase for Afghanistan, at a rally outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles on December 2, 2009. (Photo: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-93616259.jpg …

WSWS (2019-10-22). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Workers are set to carry out a series of strikes and protests over the refusal of management to take any serious steps toward the removal of asbestos from trains.

Binoy Kampmark (2019-10-22). The Decent Protester: a Down Under Creation. counterpunch.org The Decent Protester, appropriately capitalised and revered is, from the outset, one who does not protest. It is an important point: to protest in the visage of such a person is an urge best left to inner fantasy and feeling. You come late to the scene: the best work and revolt has been done; the More

Frances Madeson (2019-10-22). Pro-Democracy Movement in Haiti Swells Despite Police Violence. counterpunch.org It\'s getting hard not to notice that U.S. corporate media is covering pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong far more than pro-democracy forces in the Caribbean. It can be challenging to catch up on significant events in a place that\'s a mere two-hour flight from Miami; with a few exceptions, the media is largely failing Haiti More

Dick Nichols (2019-10-22). Vindictive Sentence in Catalan Leaders\' Trial Unleashes Tsunami of Protest. globalresearch.ca The gap between the 75%—80% of Catalans who uphold their country\'s right to self-determination, and the Spanish elites and parts of Spanish society that do not want to know anything about it, was already very wide before October 14. | But …

Shane Quinn (2019-10-22). Nuclear Weapons and the Third Reich: Hitler\'s Military Advisor Colonel Skorzeny called for the Bombing of New York City. globalresearch.ca Author\'s preface: | About 18 months ago the distinguished American historian and scientist, Noam Chomsky, directed my attention through emails to Otto Skorzeny\'s \'My Commando Operations\', a book on which the below article is largely based upon — and, a …

Philip Giraldi (2019-10-22). A Call for a Coup Plus a Week Like No Other for Tulsi Gabbard. globalresearch.ca There was what might be described as an extraordinary amount of nonsense being promoted by last week\'s media. Unfortunately, some of it was quite dangerous. Admiral William McRaven, who commanded the Navy Seals when Osama bin Laden was captured …

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-22). Haiti\'s Endless Sorrows. globalresearch.ca Few people anywhere have suffered as long and egregiously as Haitians. | No strangers to adversity and anguish, for over 500 years, they endured severe oppression, slavery, despotism, colonization, reparations, embargoes, sanctions, deep poverty, starvation, unrepayable debt, and natural calamities. | Except …

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-22). US Syria Pullout Leaves Troops in North and South. globalresearch.ca US aggression, occupation and control of Syrian territory is a flagrant UN Charter breach — a hard truth establishment media ignore, falsely blaming Bashar al-Assad for US-led imperial high crimes committed against his country. | The same goes for US actions …

Gary Engler (2019-10-22). Climate Change Deniers Become Extinct in Canadian Election. commondreams.org (FromL) Federal party leaders, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, host Patrice Roy from Radio, Canada's Prime Minister and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet pose for pictures on October 10, 2019. (Photo: SEAN KILPATRICK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1175168929.jpg …

Julia Conley (2019-10-22). Warren\'s \'transformational\' education plan takes aim at charter schools and vouchers, vowing to make schools safe and equitable for all students. nationofchange.org \"It\'s a plan focused on supporting students from birth to college and career, and on supporting teachers throughout their careers.\"

United Nations (2019-10-22). Millions of young lives at risk due to humanitarian funding shortfall: UNICEF. un.org \"Substantial\" shortfalls in humanitarian funding are placing the lives of millions of children in areas affected by conflict and disaster at risk, the UN Children\'s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.

WSWS (2019-10-22). The New York Times, China, and the specter of the \"Yellow Peril\" wsws.org In a full-page editorial in its Sunday edition, the New York Times engaged in a vicious anti-Chinese rant, warning of a \"dangerous and growing threat\" by the \"aggressive … Communist state.\"

Staff (2019-10-22). Banks and the Real Estate Business Have Undermined Black Homeowners. truthout.org Recent U.S. census data reveals the homeownership rate for African Americans has fallen to its lowest level since before the civil rights movement. In the second quarter of this year, the rate fell to just 40% — the lowest level since 1950. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor\'s new book, Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Home Ownership, examines the roots of this crisis. The book has just come out and has been longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award. From Philadelphia…

WSWS (2019-10-22). US troops withdraw across Syrian border into Iraq. wsws.org While Trump has sought to strike a phony antiwar posture with his pullout order, the troops leaving Syria will remain in the Middle East.

Chelli Stanley (2019-10-22). Change the Nation You Live In. counterpunch.org First, I want to say that, despite the difficulty that it sometimes is, I absolutely believe in all People and our inherent worth. This is of paramount importance for us as humanity to understand, because without it, we will always come to cages, borders, hate, pollution, arrogance, war, greed — sicknesses galore; all that the More

Robert J. Burrowes (2019-10-22). Human violence: Pervasive, multi-dimensional and extinction-threatening. nationofchange.org Violence is pervasive throughout human society and it has a vast range of manifestations. Moreover, some of these manifestations — particularly the threat of nuclear war (which might start regionally), the climate catastrophe and the ongoing ecological devastation, as well as geoengineering and the deployment of 5G — threaten imminent human extinction if not contained. …

Evaggelos Vallianatos (2019-10-22). A World Partnership for Ecopolitical Health and Security. counterpunch.org The world in 2019 is in deep trouble. States still act in their own interest, scarcely paying attention to the evolving horrors of climate change, war, hunger, ecological impoverishment of the planet and rapidly growing population. In such a precarious ecopolitical environment, we have the United States run by a president acting like a two-year More

MEMRI, Middle East Media Research Institute (2019-10-22). Syrian Journalist: The West, Led by the US, Knows Erdogan Has Been Supporting ISIS for Years, Yet Chooses to Ignore this. globalresearch.ca In an article titled \"Erdogan\'s Terror, Which the West Ignores\" in the London-based daily Al-Arab, \'Ali Qassem, a Syrian journalist residing in Tunisia, castigated the West for its stance towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He argued that the …

WSWS (2019-10-22). Workers and students speak at Sanders rally in New York. wsws.org The WSWS discussed issues of war, healthcare and the role of the Democratic Party in capturing and destroying social movements against capitalism.

Eric Margolis (2019-10-22). The Mother of Messes in Syria. globalresearch.ca What a mess. The imperial cooks in Washington have turned poor Syria into a poison pit of warring factions, with disastrous results for all. | Henry Kissinger once quipped that it is more dangerous being America\'s ally than its enemy. A …

Keith McHenry (2019-10-22). Mediation Won\'t End Class War. indybay.org Santa Cruz City Manager Martin Bernal knows who he works for and it isn\'t the residence of the city. Our city like most in the US is controlled by property speculators and transnational corporations. This is a nationwide deliberate war against those forced to live outside. A war against the poor.

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2019-10-22). Democrats Shouldn\'t Let Trump\'s Problems Turn Them Into the Party of War. thenation.com Democrats Shouldn\'t Let Trump\'s Problems Turn Them Into the Party of War…