PDF-Version: selected 28.12.2019
Selected articles (December 28, 2019)
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1a)
Medical Opinion, Torture and Julian Assange
By Dr Binoy Kampmark
December 21, 2019
https://countercurrents.org/2019/12/medical-opinion-torture-and-julian-assange
“On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in the United Kingdom at the hands of the UK legal and judicial system. The conclusion was a recapitulation of previous findings: that Assange has been subjected to a prolonged, state-sponsored effort in torture, nothing less than a targeting of his being. […]”
1b)
JOURNALISTS SPEAK UP FOR JULIAN ASSANGE
Speak up for Assange – international journalist statement in defence of Julian Assange”
“Julian Assange, founder and publisher of WikiLeaks, is currently detained in Belmarsh high-security prison in the United Kingdom and faces extradition to the United States and criminal prosecution under the Espionage Act. He risks up to 175 years imprisonment for his part in making public the leak of US military documents from Afghanistan and Iraq, and a trove of US State Department cables. The ‘War Diaries’ provided evidence that the US Government misled the public about activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and committed war crimes. WikiLeaks partnered with a wide range of media organizations worldwide that republished the War Diaries and embassy cables. The legal action underway against Mr Assange sets an extremely dangerous precedent for journalists, media organizations and the freedom of the press.
We, journalists and journalistic organizations around the globe, express our grave concern for Mr Assange’s wellbeing, for his continued detention and for the draconian espionage charges.
This case stands at the heart of the principle of free speech. If the US government can prosecute Mr Assange for publishing classified documents, it may clear the way for governments to prosecute journalists anywhere, an alarming precedent for freedom of the press worldwide. Also, the use of espionage charges against people publishing materials provided by whistleblowers is a first and should alarm every journalist and publisher.[…]”
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2a)
A Newsweek Reporter Resigns, A Counter-Narrative Won’t Die
Is the media suppressing evidence that the 2018 chemical ‚attack‘ in Syria didn’t happen the way officials said it did?
By Scott Ritter
December 27, 2019
“[…] The OPCW whistleblower scandal has all the elements of a blockbuster—heroes, villains, scandal, lies, and cover-up. But fact-based truth is no longer the fuel of the media business that modern journalism is supposed to sustain, especially when the truth can so easily be fobbed off as “pro-Assad” or “pro-Russia.” As long as this model remains in place, and the work of genuine journalists such as Tareq Haddad is suppressed by editors, the American people will remain prisoners of their own ignorance.”
2b)
The 12 Strongest Arguments that Douma Chemical Attack Was a False Flag
BY Caitlin Johnstone
December 20, 2019
“There have been many US military interventions that were based on lies. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is not some kooky blogger’s opinion. It is an extensively documented and indisputable fact. […]”
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3)
Iraq: The October Revolution of 2019 and the Iran-US Conflict
Iraq is home to thousands of US troops and is also home to powerful Iranian-backed militias. The fear is that Iraq could become the battleground of a war between the United States and Iran.
By Dirk Adriaensens
December 25, 2019
https://www.globalresearch.ca/iraq-october-revolution-2019/5698521
“[…] The Iraqi people continue to be a pawn in the game of geopolitical power politics, victims of the hunger for profit of the oil companies and corrupt politicians in an occupied country. Iraqis continue to bear the full burden of 29 years of sanctions, wars, misery, death, destruction, chaos and extreme neoliberalism. The people, however, have always remained alert, have constantly opposed the inhumane situation in which they were forced and want a fairer redistribution of the available resources. The past and present protests also have repeatedly opposed the division of the country, foreign interference and the sectarian structures imposed on them.
There is a continuity in Iraq’s popular resistance since 2003. Iraq is not Ukraine, is not Hong Kong. This is yet another uprising against the Green Zone, the fortified castle where the US, but also Iran, determine the rules of the game through the puppet government they have appointed. Any attempt to turn Iraq into the arena of a US war against Iran must be resisted. The people of Iraq cannot cope with another war.[…]”
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4a)
Iran’s Crisis Budget
By Henry Rome
December 16, 2019
https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2019/dec/16/irans-crisis-budget
On December 8, President Hassan Rouhani presented a $43 billion budget to parliament for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in March 2020. What challenges does Rouhani face?
4b)
After US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, restored sanctions put cancer patients at risk
Shortages of medication and resources in Iran have increased.
By Somayeh Malekian
December 25, 2019
“ […] Iranian nuclear medication manufacturer Pars Isotope Company was one of the companies added to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s sanction list after the U.S.’s unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
„We were all shocked when we heard the news. Our activities are purely for medical purposes. About 800,000 Iranians use our products annually,“ Mohammad Reza Davarpanah, head of Pars Isotope Company, said in an interview with ABC News. […]”
“ […] Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines used to work with Pars Isotope, but no longer provide service to the company after it was sanctioned.
„We are left with just one Russian airline to import the raw materials and Iranian airliners to distribute the products,“ Davarpanah said.[…]”
“[…] Iranian medical facilities also provide services to patients from other countries like Iraq, who come in search for more affordable treatment options than may be offered in their own countries.
Some hospitals, including those in Iraq, India, Syria and Egypt, also import radiopharmaceuticals from Iran, Davarpanah said.[…]”
4c)
What’s in the Growing Russia-China-Iran Trilateral Convergence?
Potential security engagements among the three have spotlighted their increasing convergence.
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
December 23, 2019
https://thediplomat.com/2019/12/whats-in-the-growing-russia-china-iran-trilateral-convergence/
“ […] In the backdrop of these heightened maritime engagements by different coalitions of powers, the China-Iran-Russia trilateral naval exercise will be watched with some concern. As mentioned previously, it is occurring in an area that has seen increased military engagement. Beyond that, for countries like India, there are concerns about additional partners, notably Pakistan, whose potential invitation has been the source of headlines with Rear Admiral Khanzadi mentioning that Islamabad was welcome.
The coming together of China, Iran, and Russia itself is a major strategic development, and the addition of countries like Pakistan into the mix increases the stakes. Irrespective of how things play out, one can expect continued attention to trilateral and quadrilateral configurations such as these that go beyond the ones usually talked about involving U.S. allies and partners.”
Amir Mortasawi (alias Afsane Bahar) (امیر مرتضوی (افسانه بهار 