21stcenturywire--2020-01-21--US, UK Diplomats Protest Against OPCW Whistleblower Giving Evidence to United Nations

Yesterday , a former engineer and ballistics expert with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) delivered testimony via video link to an audience at the United Nations Security Council ( UNSC ) , accusing the chemical weapons watchdog of intentionally burying exculpatory evidence from its Fact Finding Mission ( FFM ) report – evidence which would have exonerated the Syria government in an alleged chemical weapons incident in Douma , Syria , in April 7 , 2018 .
The UNSC meeting was called by representatives from Moscow , calling for public transparency on the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was given by former OPCW engineer Ian Henderson , who told UN representatives about ‘ serious reservations ’ raised by the actual FFM team , reservations which were systematically ignored and covered-up by OPCW executives .
It is believed that the FFM ’ s real findings were particularly embarrassing for the US , UK and France , who had immediately attributed blame to Damascus before any investigation took place , relying completely on speculative conclusions as the pretext to launch their joint missile strike against Syria on April 14 , 2018 .
Henderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UNSC what really happened with the OPCW cover-up , and why this scandal has serious implications going forward .
The findings in the final [ Fact Finding Mission ] report were contradictory , were a complete turnaround with what the team had understood collectively during and after the Douma deployments .
In my case , I had followed up with a further six months of engineering and ballistics studies into the cylinders , the result of which had provided further support for the view that there had not been a chemical attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s executive ordered that ‘ all traces of Henderson ’ s report be removed ’ from the OPCW ’ s internal document archives .
He testified that The FFM team “ had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred ” , the OPCW ’ s final report had simply ignored crucial “ findings , facts , information , data or analysis ” collected by the team on the ground – including ballistics , chemical analysis , and important toxicology determinations – all of which would have completely changed the body ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows key parts of Henderson ’ s incredible admission : Henderson ’ s engineering report was initially leaked to the Working Group on Syria Media and Propaganda ( WGSMP ) last May .
Later , WikiLeaks published several sets of emails which further demonstrated a clear cover-up at the OPCW , but more shockingly , the revelation that US intelligence officers were seen inside the OPCW ’ s offices in The Hague , Netherlands , where they were allowed to intimidate employees , while demanding they tow the Washington line on the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed how members of the mainstream media , along with US , UK government-backed ‘ investigative organization , ’ Bellingcat , have been actively involved in an online defamation campaign designed to damage the credibility of both OPCW whistleblowers and any dissenting journalists and academics , in the hopes of steering the public away from the explosive findings detailed in successive leaks .
Instead , mainstream gatekeepers and intelligence cut-outs are working in concert to convince the public to accept the official narrative issued by US , UK and French governments back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media on OPCW Leaks – The Good , Bad and Downright Ugly Whistleblower Henderson ’ s testimony was met with anger from US and UK representatives , who accused Russia of ‘ politicizing ’ the OPCW and UN forum .
Britain ’ s ambassador to the UN , Karen Pierce lashed out at Russia saying , “ Today we heard the Russians trying to deny facts that have been established by an independent body , trusted by the international community to do its work , OPCW .
This is frankly a shameful response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground in Syria.
” Despite all of their protestations though , neither Pierce or her US counterpart , dared to contest any of the information presented by OPCW whistleblowers , preferring instead to frame any new information forthcoming as “ Russian disinformation.
” Their ad hominem tactic was reflected in the Murdoch press as well , with The Times of London running the headline , “ Russia accused of misinformation over claim Syrian chemical attack was faked “ .
“ Western nations accused Russia of sowing misinformation yesterday after it held a meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a notorious chemical attack in Syria never happened , ” said the Murdoch paper .
It is believed that more leaks and documents pertaining to the OPCW Douma cover-up are still forthcoming .

By
Yesterday, a former engineer and ballistics expert with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) delivered testimony via video link to an audience at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing the chemical weapons watchdog of intentionally burying exculpatory evidence from its Fact Finding Mission (FFM) report – evidence which would have exonerated the Syrian government in an alleged chemical weapons incident in Douma, Syria, in April 7, 2018.
The UNSC meeting was called by representatives from Moscow, calling for public transparency on the matter.
The meeting’s featured presentation was given by former OPCW engineer Ian Henderson, who told UN representatives about ‘serious reservations’ raised by the actual FFM team, reservations which were systematically ignored and covered-up by OPCW executives.
It is believed that the FFM’s real findings were particularly embarrassing for the US, UK and France, who had immediately attributed blame to Damascus before any investigation took place, relying completely on speculative conclusions as the pretext to launch their joint missile strike against Syria on April 14, 2018.
Henderson went on to inform members of the UNSC what really happened with the OPCW cover-up, and why this scandal has serious implications going forward.
The findings in the final [Fact Finding Mission] report were contradictory, were a complete turnaround with what the team had understood collectively during and after the Douma deployments. In my case, I had followed up with a further six months of engineering and ballistics studies into the cylinders, the result of which had provided further support for the view that there had not been a chemical attack.
According to leaked emails, the watchdog’s executive ordered that ‘all traces of Henderson’s report be removed’ from the OPCW’s internal document archives.
He testified that The FFM team “had serious misgivings that a chemical attack had occurred”, the OPCW’s final report had simply ignored crucial “findings, facts, information, data or analysis” collected by the team on the ground – including ballistics, chemical analysis, and important toxicology determinations – all of which would have completely changed the body’s conclusions.
The Twitter thread below shows key parts of Henderson’s incredible admission:
Henderson’s engineering report was initially leaked to the Working Group on Syria Media and Propaganda (WGSMP) last May.
Later, WikiLeaks published several sets of emails which further demonstrated a clear cover-up at the OPCW, but more shockingly, the revelation that US intelligence officers were seen inside the OPCW’s offices in The Hague, Netherlands, where they were allowed to intimidate employees, while demanding they tow the Washington line on the narrative surrounding the Douma attacks.
21WIRE also revealed how members of the mainstream media, along with US, UK government-backed ‘investigative organization,’ Bellingcat, have been actively involved in an online defamation campaign designed to damage the credibility of both OPCW whistleblowers and any dissenting journalists and academics, in the hopes of steering the public away from the explosive findings detailed in successive leaks. Instead, mainstream gatekeepers and intelligence cut-outs are working in concert to convince the public to accept the official narrative issued by US, UK and French governments back in April 2018.
SEE ALSO: Mainstream Media on OPCW Leaks – The Good, Bad and Downright Ugly
Whistleblower Henderson’s testimony was met with anger from US and UK representatives, who accused Russia of ‘politicizing’ the OPCW and UN forum.
Britain’s ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, took to Twitter and lashed out at Russia saying, “Today we heard the Russians trying to deny facts that have been established by an independent body, trusted by the international community to do its work, OPCW. This is frankly a shameful response to the very real horrors on the ground in Syria.”
Despite all of their protestations though, neither Pierce or her US counterpart, Cherith Norman Chalet, dared to contest any of the information presented by OPCW whistleblowers, preferring instead to frame any new information forthcoming as “Russian disinformation.”
Their ad hominem tactic was reflected in the Murdoch press as well, with The Times of London running the headline, “Russia accused of misinformation over claim Syrian chemical attack was faked“.
“Western nations accused Russia of sowing misinformation yesterday after it held a meeting at the United Nations to argue that a notorious chemical attack in Syria never happened,” said the Murdoch paper.
It is believed that more leaks and documents pertaining to the OPCW Douma cover-up are still forthcoming.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES.
READ MORE OPCW NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire OPCW Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-23--Trump Envoy Issues Death Threat to Soleimani Successor, Head of Iran’s Quds Force

IMAGE : Trump ’ s Special Envoy for Iran , Brian Hook , back-to-back with hawkish Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Just when you thought that Washington could not sink any lower in the international diplomacy game , the Trump White House compounds its previous misdeed by issuing a public death threat against the successor of assassinated Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani .
Presidential US Special Envoy to Iran , Brian Hook , gave a statement to the Arabic language newspaper , Asharq al-Awsat , where he warned new General of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will end up like Soleimani should he be accused of killing any Americans , remarking that , “ follows the same path of killing Americans then he will meet the same fate.
” Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike on January 3 , along with senior Iraqi PMU commander , Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis .
Hook continued saying , “ We will hold the regime and its agents responsible for any attack on Americans or American interests in the region.
” Hook also went on to boast that Washington ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East a safer place because it has “ create a vacuum that the Regime will not be able to fill , ” inferring that Ghaani will not be able to marshal “ Iran ’ s agents in the region ” .
Hook also repeated the common talking point that Soleimani was the ‘ world ’ s most dangerous terrorist ’ – a label which hardly corresponds with facts which clearly demonstrate that the Iranian military leader was leading the fight against ISIS and al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria .
In the interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinforce another State Department narrative which still claims that Iran somehow launched the September attack on Saudi Arabia ’ s Aramco oil facilities – even though the likely culprit , Yemen ’ s Houthi rebel forces , had already taken credit for the attack .

By
IMAGE: Trump’s Special Envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, back-to-back with hawkish Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Just when you thought Washington could not sink any lower in the international diplomacy game, the Trump White House compounds its previous misdeed by issuing a public death threat against the successor of assassinated Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani.
The President’s Special Envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, gave a statement to the Arabic language newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, where he warned new General of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Ghaani, that he will end up like Soleimani should he be accused of killing any Americans, warning that if “follows the same path of killing Americans then he will meet the same fate.”
Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike on January 3, along with senior Iraqi PMU commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Hook continued saying,“We will hold the regime and its agents responsible for any attack on Americans or American interests in the region.”
Hook also went on to boast that Washington’s state-sponsored assassination of Soleimani has made the Middle East a safer place because it has “create a vacuum that the Regime will not be able to fill,” inferring that Ghaani will not be able to marshal “Iran’s agents in the region”.
Hook also repeated the common talking point that Soleimani was the ‘world’s most dangerous terrorist’ – a label which hardly corresponds with facts which clearly demonstrate that the Iranian military leader was leading the fight against ISIS and al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria.
In the interview, Hook used the opportunity to reinforce another State Department narrative which still claims that Iran somehow launched the September attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities – even though the likely culprit, Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces, had already taken credit for the attack.
READ MORE IRAN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Iran Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-24--SYRIA: Infighting Continues Between Militants in Aleppo’s Eastern Countryside

Ahrar Al Sharqiya militant testing out US supplied TOW Missile unit in Aleppo countryside ( Image : SMMS ) The conflict in the eastern countryside of Aleppo has increased among the militants of the Turkish-backed factions , after the violent battles taking place in Al-Bab area – controlled by those factions .
Here , the infighting is taking place between militant extremist groups “ Ahrar Al Sharqiya ” and “ The 20th Squad ” ( aka “ 20th Division ” ) .
According to local sources from Al-Bab area in eastern Aleppo countryside , tension between the two factions actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place last week in Suluk city in the Raqqa countryside , which killed 3 Turkish soldiers and 7 members of Ahrar Al-Sharqiya , including its leader Thabit Al-Huwaish , nicknamed “ Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Amani ” .
This made the leaders of Ahrar Al-Shaqiya accuse 20th Squad members of being involved in carrying out the explosion by facilitating the passage of the vehicle through their checkpoints .
The leadership of The 20 Squad denied these accusations and confirmed that the members of its checkpoint stopped the car , that was accompanied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accompany it to a headquarter of Ahrar al-Sharqiya in the town of Suluk , but they were surprised by its explosion inside the town , which led to accusations against Al-Sharqiya militants of carrying out the bombing .
Following these accusations , violent fighting took place between the two parties , with fighting centered around Al-Bab city , the largest city in Aleppo eastern countryside .
A large number of deaths and injuries occurred within the ranks of both Al-Sharqiya and The 20th Squad during these battles .
The two sides also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each others ’ headquarters , along with stealing munitions and ammunition stock in warehouse .
The leader of The 20th Squad , Abu Barzan Al-Sultani , published an audio recording in which he called on the members of his squad to exercise restraint , hand over the headquarters to Ahrar al-Sharqiya , and not to be drawn into a military confrontation that might take their lives , while the security alert of Ahrar al-Sharqiya continued in Al-Bab , Jarablus , Marea , and Afrin in the Aleppo countryside – which are still controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factions .
All these areas are suffering security chaos as a result of successive bombings and military confrontations between the rival factions due to the disagreements on the areas of influence and looting civilian properties .
The leaked information received through a private source indicates that the leader of Ahrar al-Sharqiya movement , “ Hatim Abu Shaqra ” , had planned earlier with the leader of Al-Sharqiya Army , Hussein Hammadi , to attack The 20th Squad and control its deployment areas near Ras Al-Ain ( aka Kobani ) northwest of Hasaka , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fertile agricultural land .
Leader Abu Shaqra took advantage of the explosion incident to accuse and attack The 20th Squad , instructing his members to arrest the members of the Squad in various areas of rural Aleppo .
The source stated that dozens of the Squad members were arrested by members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya and taken to an unknown destination with refusal to release them .
The source also revealed information about an agreement between Abu Shaqra and the Minister of Defense of the self-declared government-in-exile in Turkey , headed by Salim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to dissolve The 20th Squad under pretense that Turkey is aware of what ’ s going on and is ignoring it , as they are merely mercenaries and Turks do not care about their disagreements .
It is noteworthy that the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed factions in the countryside of Aleppo and Raqqa are still witnessing conflicts and mass infighting among themselves , periodically , mostly over the distribution of stolen goods , settling of internal scores , and blood feuds among the factions ’ leaders .

By
Ahrar Al Sharqiya militant testing out US supplied TOW Missile unit in Aleppo countryside (Image: SMMS)
Khaled Iskef
21st Century Wire
The conflict in the eastern countryside of Aleppo has increased among the militants of the Turkish-backed factions, after the violent battles taking place in Al-Bab area – controlled by those factions. Here, the infighting is taking place between militant extremist groups “Ahrar Al Sharqiya” and “The 20th Squad” (aka “20th Division”).
According to local sources from Al-Bab area in eastern Aleppo countryside, tension between the two factions actually began after the car bomb explosion that took place last week in Suluk city in the Raqqa countryside, which killed 3 Turkish soldiers and 7 members of Ahrar Al-Sharqiya, including its leader Thabit Al-Huwaish, nicknamed “Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Amani”. This made the leaders of Ahrar Al-Shaqiya (former al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham members) accuse 20th Squad members of being involved in carrying out the explosion by facilitating the passage of the vehicle through their checkpoints.
The leadership of The 20 Squad denied these accusations and confirmed that the members of its checkpoint stopped the car, that was accompanied by members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, and decided to accompany it to a headquarter of Ahrar al-Sharqiya in the town of Suluk, but they were surprised by its explosion inside the town, which led to accusations against Al-Sharqiya militants of carrying out the bombing.
Following these accusations, violent fighting took place between the two parties, with fighting centered around Al-Bab city, the largest city in Aleppo eastern countryside. A large number of deaths and injuries occurred within the ranks of both Al-Sharqiya and The 20th Squad during these battles. The two sides also rushed to implement incursions and raids on each others’ headquarters, along with stealing munitions and ammunition stock in warehouse.
The leader of The 20th Squad, Abu Barzan Al-Sultani, published an audio recording in which he called on the members of his squad to exercise restraint, hand over the headquarters to Ahrar al-Sharqiya, and not to be drawn into a military confrontation that might take their lives, while the security alert of Ahrar al-Sharqiya continued in Al-Bab, Jarablus, Marea, and Afrin in the Aleppo countryside – which are still controlled by the Turkish forces and their loyal factions. All these areas are suffering security chaos as a result of successive bombings and military confrontations between the rival factions due to the disagreements on the areas of influence and looting civilian properties.
The leaked information received through a private source indicates that the leader of Ahrar al-Sharqiya movement, “Hatim Abu Shaqra”, had planned earlier with the leader of Al-Sharqiya Army, Hussein Hammadi, to attack The 20th Squad and control its deployment areas near Ras Al-Ain (aka Kobani) northwest of Hasaka, which is estimated as hundreds of hectares of fertile agricultural land. Leader Abu Shaqra took advantage of the explosion incident to accuse and attack The 20th Squad, instructing his members to arrest the members of the Squad in various areas of rural Aleppo. The source stated that dozens of the Squad members were arrested by members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya and taken to an unknown destination with refusal to release them.
The source also revealed information about an agreement between Abu Shaqra and the Minister of Defense of the self-declared government-in-exile in Turkey, headed by Salim Idris, former Free Syrian Army leader, to dissolve The 20th Squad under pretense that Turkey is aware of what’s going on and is ignoring it, as they are merely mercenaries and Turks do not care about their disagreements.
It is noteworthy that the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed factions in the countryside of Aleppo and Raqqa are still witnessing conflicts and mass infighting among themselves, periodically, mostly over the distribution of stolen goods, settling of internal scores, and blood feuds among the factions’ leaders.
SAY TUNED FOR UPDATES
***
Author Khaled Iskef is an independent researcher and journalist based in Syria. His work has appeared on a number of international media outlets including Al Mayadeen TV. See his archive here.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-24--INTERVIEW: Sami Ramadani on the Renewed Rift Between Iraq and United States

The chain of events which has unfolded since late December has the potential the change the geopolitical shape of the @ @ @ @ @ Will Iraq successfully remove all foreign forces from their country ?
Is the region edging @ @ @ @ @ In EP 311 of the SUNDAY WIRE show , host Patrick Henningsen talks with special @ @ @ @ @ prominent writer , lecturer and veteran antiwar activist , born in Iraq , discussing the @ @ @ @ @ Middle East , between the United States , Iran and Iraq , as well as @ @ @ @ @ emergence of ISIS , and the Iraqi PMU militias who fought and defeated them .
@ @ @ @ @ and Iraq to Trump ’ s double-assassination of Iran ’ s General Qasem Soleimani and @ @ @ @ @ Abu Mahdi al-Mouhendis – has been a game changer , leading to official calls from @ @ @ @ @ leave Iraq , followed by the US refusing to withdraw its military forces from the @ @ @ @ @ a graceful exit for Washington ?
Listen :

By
The chain of events which has unfolded since late December has the potential the change the geopolitical shape of the Middle East for decades. Will Iraq successfully remove all foreign forces from their country? Is the region edging closer to war again?
In EP 311 of the SUNDAY WIRE show, host Patrick Henningsen talks with special guest Sami Ramadani, a prominent writer, lecturer and veteran antiwar activist, born in Iraq, discussing the current three-way deadlock in the Middle East, between the United States, Iran and Iraq, as well as what was really behind the emergence of ISIS, and the Iraqi PMU militias who fought and defeated them. The reaction in both Iran and Iraq to Trump’s double-assassination of Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani and Iraq’s PMU commander Abu Mahdi al-Mouhendis – has been a game changer, leading to official calls from Baghdad for the US to leave Iraq, followed by the US refusing to withdraw its military forces from the country. Can there be a graceful exit for Washington? Listen:
READ MORE IRAQ NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Iraq Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-24--UKC News: OPCW Leaks, Assange Extradition, Million Iraqis March, Davos & Doomsday Clock

This week Brexit became law , as Britain heads out of Europe , or does it ?
Also , an @ @ @ @ @ of Commons this week revealed corruption within the OPCW which has tainted its reports prompting @ @ @ @ @ into the Douma attacks .
Also , some key questions were answered this week in @ @ @ @ @ s path forward through the judiciary – along with some shocking revelations about what is @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s extradited to the US .
A million Iraqis came out this morning @ @ @ @ @ leave their country , and this year ’ s Doomsday Clock was revealed , now @ @ @ @ @ the closest ever to global catastrophe ever .
Recognizing the perilous state of world affairs @ @ @ @ @ calls for a new Five Powers ’ summit to avert a calamity .
Elites in @ @ @ @ @ climate change , led by Greta Thunberg .
All this and more .
.
SEE @ @ @ @ @ HERE

By
This week Brexit became law, as Britain heads out of Europe, or does it? Also, an information session at the House of Commons this week revealed corruption within the OPCW which has tainted its reports prompting calls for an Independent Inquiry into the Douma attacks. Also, some key questions were answered this week in London regarding Julian Assange’s path forward through the judiciary – along with some shocking revelations about what is in store for him if he’s extradited to the US. A million Iraqis came out this morning to demand the US troops leave their country, and this year’s Doomsday Clock was revealed, now 100 seconds to midnight, the closest ever to global catastrophe ever. Recognizing the perilous state of world affairs, Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for a new Five Powers’ summit to avert a calamity. Elites in Davos gather to pontificate on climate change, led by Greta Thunberg. All this and more.
Co-hosts Mike Robinson and Patrick Henningsen cover this week’s top stories internationally. Watch:
.
SEE MORE UK COLUMN NEWS EPISODES HERE
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-25--Dems’ Impeachment Trial ‘Performance’ Ends, Trump’s Legal Team Makes Opening Arguments

U.S. House Democrats ’ team of Impeachment Trial Managers , led by Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) , concluded their opening arguments on Friday night .
Now , President Trump ’ s legal team takes over to deliver its defense over the next several days .
Schiff , whose hyperbolic and dramatic performances have dragged on for months during congressional Impeachment proceedings , ended the night by saying , “ You ’ ll be pleased to know this is the last presentation of the evening ” – and for many , that statement will be met with a collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the adulation from all this week during his final closing argument , quoting the late Hubert Humphrey , former vice president and presidential candidate : “ To be immortal , you don ’ t need to be eternal.
” Prominent Democrats and liberal pop culture icons took to social media to memorialize and pay tribute to Schiff ’ s prose , including Hillary Clinton : But as columnist Joe Fitzgerald wrote for the Boston Herald on Friday , “ enough already ” and offers some advice : Sometimes less is better .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So if you ’ re called upon to a speaker , remember the exasperation of Adam Schiff ’ s listeners .
It wasn ’ t just the content of his garrulous presentation that induced ennui ; it was the physical challenge of taking it all in , hour after hour after hour .
It ’ s onto the GOP-led majority Senate and Trump ’ s defense team to move this ‘ show trial ’ along to a swift conclusion .
We ’ ll have more updates on this weekend ’ s Sunday Wire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

By
U.S. House Democrats’ team of Impeachment Trial Managers, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), concluded their opening arguments on Friday night. Now, President Trump’s legal team delivers its defense over the next several days.
Schiff, whose hyperbolic and dramatic performances have dragged on for months during congressional impeachment proceedings, ended the night by saying, “You’ll be pleased to know this is the last presentation of the evening” – and for many, that statement will be met with a collective sigh of relief.
Schiff basked in the adulation from all this week during his final closing argument, quoting the late Hubert Humphrey, former vice president and presidential candidate: “To be immortal, you don’t need to be eternal.”
Prominent Democrats and liberal pop culture icons took to social media to memorialize and pay tribute to Schiff’s prose, including Hillary Clinton:
I am in tears. Thank you Chairman Schiff for fighting for our country. — Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) January 24, 2020
This is brilliantly argued and so compelling. Watch if you have time. Call your senators. Everyone says the outcome is predetermined. But make sure your senators hear from you if you’re moved by this. Thank you, Congressman Schiff, for standing up for what’s right. https://t.co/MOuBSCBaSE — John Legend (@johnlegend) January 24, 2020
But as columnist Joe Fitzgerald wrote for the Boston Herald on Friday, “enough already” and offers some advice:
Sometimes less is better. A good salesman knows when to stop. So if you’re called upon to be a speaker, remember the exasperation of Adam Schiff’s listeners. It wasn’t just the content of his garrulous presentation that induced ennui; it was the physical challenge of taking it all in, hour after hour after hour.
It’s onto the GOP-led majority Senate and Trump’s defense team to move this ‘show trial’ along to a swift conclusion.
We’ll have more updates on this weekend’s Sunday Wire and next week on 21st Century Wire.
READ MORE IMPEACHMENT NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Impeachment Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM– BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-26--Giuliani Threatening to Release Evidence of Biden Bribery and Corruption in Ukraine

As the US Senate ’ s Impeachment Trial of President Trump continues , it ’ s becoming clearer than ever @ @ @ @ @ been staged for a single purpose : to deflect away from a litany of corruption @ @ @ @ @ the Obama Administration .
Such accusations are not groundless .
Already information has been released @ @ @ @ @ US government involvement with a number of fraudulent schemes , kickbacks , and even election @ @ @ @ @ ) .
According to attorney Rudy Giuliani , “ Biden should ’ ve been prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ President ’ s personal attorney says he plans to present his damning evidence to the @ @ @ @ @ week – on the activities of Joe Biden and his son Hunter , including evidence @ @ @ @ @ President Petro Poroshenko .
READ MORE AT : Hunting for Hunter : Evidence Reveals Biden @ @ @ @ @ , Tied to U.S. Firm In this segment , Giuliani talks with ‘ Fox & @ @ @ @ @ Trump impeachment trial and his investigation into Biden ’ s corruption .
Watch :

By
As the US Senate’s Impeachment Trial of President Trump continues, it’s becoming clearer than ever that these elaborate proceedings have been staged for a single purpose: to deflect away from a litany of corruption activities which took place during the Obama Administration. Such accusations are not groundless.
Already information has been released which details the extent of US government involvement with a number of fraudulent schemes, kickbacks, and even election meddling (going both ways). According to attorney Rudy Giuliani, “Biden should’ve been prosecuted already for bribery.”
The President’s personal attorney says he plans to present his damning evidence to the public as early as next week – on the activities of Joe Biden and his son Hunter, including evidence that Biden bribed former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
READ MORE AT: Hunting for Hunter: Evidence Reveals Biden, Burisma Ukraine Bond Scandal, Tied to U.S. Firm
In this segment, Giuliani talks with ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the Trump impeachment trial and his investigation into Biden’s corruption. Watch:
.
READ MORE UKRAINEGATE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire UKraineGate Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM– BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-26--SUNDAY SCREENING: ‘Manufacturing Consent” (1992)

Our weekly documentary film curated by our editorial team at 21WIRE .
This seminal documentary film explores the analysis of @ @ @ @ @ presented in the 1988 book , Manufacturing Consent , written by scholars Noam Chomsky and @ @ @ @ @ Chomsky .
Here Canadian filmmakers Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick expand on Chomsky and Herman @ @ @ @ @ that corporate media , as profit-driven institutions , tend to serve and further the agendas @ @ @ @ @ elite groups in the society .
Incredibly informative and an essential building block to any @ @ @ @ @ propaganda in the West .
Watch : .
Run time : 2 hrs 47 min @ @ @ @ @ Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick Production : Zeitgeist Films ( Australia ) SEE MORE SUNDAY @ @

By
Our weekly documentary film curated by our editorial team at 21WIRE.
This seminal documentary film explores the analysis of political economy and mass media presented in the 1988 book, Manufacturing Consent, written by scholars Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman. Noam Chomsky. Here Canadian filmmakers Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick expand on Chomsky and Herman’s propaganda model thesis that corporate media, as profit-driven institutions, tend to serve and further the agendas and interests of dominant, elite groups in the society. Incredibly informative and an essential building block to any study and understanding of modern propaganda in the West. Watch:
.
Run time: 2 hrs 47 min
Directed and Written By: Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick
Production: Zeitgeist Films (Australia)
SEE MORE SUNDAY SCREENINGS HERE
SUPPORT OUR MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-26--Episode #312 – ‘Propaganda as Gospel’ guests George Szamuely and more

Episode # 312 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on Jan 26 , 2019 with host Patrick Henningsen , broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network ( ACR ) … 5pm-8pm UK Time | 12pm-3pm ET ( US ) | 9am-12pm PT ( US ) This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with host Patrick Henningsen covering the top stories in the US , Europe and internationally .
We ’ ll look closer at the latest updates in Julian Assange US extradition case , and OPCW Leaks presentation at the House of Commons .
Later in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest , author of Bombs for Peace , and global affairs analyst from the Global Policy Institute , George Szamuely , to discuss ACT ONE of US Senate ’ s theatrical Impeachment Trial of President Trump , and what to expect in ACT TWO .
In the final segment of overdrive , we ’ ll talk with SUNDAY WIRE Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport , Basil Valentine , to discuss latest breaking news in what the White House and Tel Aviv are billing as “ The Deal of the Century “ , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new anti-free speech laws which would make any criticism of the policies or human rights abuses of the State of Israel to become a criminal offense in Europe .
All this and much more .
Enjoy the show… AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV *NOTE : THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*

By
Episode #312 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on Jan 26, 2020 with host Patrick Henningsen, broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR)…
LISTEN LIVE ON THIS PAGE – START TIMES:
5pm-8pm UK Time | 12pm-3pm ET (US) | 9am-12pm PT (US)
This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with host Patrick Henningsen covering the top stories in the US, Europe and internationally. We’ll look closer at the latest updates in Julian Assange US extradition case, and OPCW Leaks presentation at the House of Commons. Later in the first hour, we welcome a very special guest, author of Bombs for Peace, and global affairs analyst from the Global Policy Institute, George Szamuely, to discuss ACT ONE of US Senate’s theatrical Impeachment Trial of President Trump, and what to expect in ACT TWO. In the final segment of overdrive, we’ll talk with SUNDAY WIRE Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport, Basil Valentine, to discuss latest breaking news in what the White House and Tel Aviv are billing as “The Deal of the Century“, and the billionaire oligarch who is proposing new anti-free speech laws which would make any criticism of the policies or human rights abuses of the State of Israel to become a criminal offense in Europe. All this and much more. Enjoy the show…
SUPPORT 21WIRE: DONATE TO OUR WINTER FUNDRAISING DRIVE!
AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER@21WIRE.TV
*NOTE: THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*
Download Episode #312
Sunday Wire Radio Show Archives


21stcenturywire--2020-01-26--Julian Assange and the Inhumanity of the British State: ‘Unofficial’ Solitary Confinement as Torture

Up until this week , Assange has been held in solitary confinement in Belmarsh prison .
Incredibly , it was the other prisoners along with Assange ’ s legal team , who have pressured the government officials to respect the law and allow Assange to be removed from solitary confinement , resulting in his transfer to a general wing .
This piece looks at how Assange was unofficially segregated in the prison ’ s healthcare unit , with no recourse to systems designed for prisoners in official solitary confinement regimes as applied under Prison Rule 45 , leaving him out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The sustained violation of the human rights of Wikileaks founder , Julian Assange , has been carried out in full view of the world throughout his arbitrary detention in HMP Belmarsh .
Until now , condemnation of his treatment and pleas to end his suffering have been met with denial and silence by the British authorities .
But the announcement this week that Assange has been moved out of Belmarsh healthcare unit where he has been detained in solitary confinement since May , is a sign that the campaign to stop his persecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the involvement of his fellow inmates in helping to secure Assange ’ s release from solitary confinement , which suggests that within the walls of Belmarsh it is understood that the healthcare unit has been weaponized to arbitrarily isolate and punish a prisoner .
Moving Assange from solitary confinement shows a shift from official government position that solitary confinement ‘ does not exist ’ Until now the British authorities have not only denied that Assange has been detained in solitary confinement , but that solitary confinement is not practised in British prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public outrage , Her Majesty ’ s Prison and Probation Service ( HMPPS ) has been sending out letters in response to the influx of complaints it has been receiving regarding the abuse of Assange .
In its response it refuses to address his case and produces a list of standards and laws written for the protection of prisoners as evidence he is in ‘ safe hands.
’ However , anyone who has followed the continued arbitrary detention of Assange in Belmarsh will know he has been placed effectively outside the reach of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his lawyers and legal documents , normally preserved by statutory prisoner rights – has been harshly restricted , all of which has had a crippling effect on preparation for his defence in a case of historical significance .
The HMPPS claim that “ …prisoners are not detained in solitary confinement ... ” could only be made after dismissing statements by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture , Nils Melzer , that Assange has been held in solitary confinement , in violation of international law : Blanket statements of how the UK cares for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring the decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention , that Assange is being arbitrarily detained , in violation of international law .
What ’ s more , the British state ’ s dismissing out of hand any accusations of ‘ solitary confinement ’ as a falsehood or public misconception – must surely undermine the work of prison charities and scholarship in law and prison systems which exists to shed light on the consequences of solitary confinement including ill-health and suicide .
Hence , the HMPPS letter can be viewed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the image of good governance , a facade designed to mask the institution ’ s deployment of the very same strategy practised by the government when called upon to answer for its abuse of Assange : denial and silence .
UN Rapporteur Nils Melzer has condemned the mistreatment of Assange , which he has measured against the UN ’ s definition of solitary confinement under the Standard Minimum Rules .
Until now , Assange has been locked in a cell alone for over 22 hours a day and deprived of association with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in breach of both the European Prison Rules and the British government ’ s own prison inspectorate human rights standards , recognised as follows : “ There is clear consensus in human rights standards that all prisoners , including those in segregation or cellular confinement , should have at least one hour of outside exercise in the open air every day ( SMR 23.1 ; EPR 27 ; CPT 2nd General Report ) .
This should be in addition to time spent in association with other prisoners ( EPR 25.2 , 27.7 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also standards relating to solitary confinement ( SMR 43.1 , 44 , 45 ) .
See also Expectation 10 and related human rights references.
” As can be seen , the inspectorate standards refer to the same laws identified by Melzer to condemn the mistreatment of Assange .
For anyone doubting whether a prison healthcare unit , or any other building associated with care , could hold people in solitary confinement , the prison charity Penal Reform makes this clear : The prison ombudsman also confirms the fact that solitary confinement is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is referring to official segregations , but this could just as easily be applied in describing Assange ’ s daily regime in Belmarsh over a period of several months , according to .
So what is the difference between official segregation where prisoners are detained in solitary confinement and the solitary confinement that until this week has been imposed upon Assange while in Belmarsh healthcare ?
Official segregation is allowed under prison rule 45 ( segregation units allowed under rule 46 ) .
It states that the removal of a prisoner from association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 ) Where it appears desirable , for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in his own interests , that a prisoner should not associate with other prisoners , either generally or for particular purposes , the governor may arrange for the prisoner ’ s removal from association accordingly .
( 2 ) A prisoner shall not be removed under this rule for a period of more than 3 days without the authority of a member of the board of visitors or of the Secretary of State .
An authority given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period not exceeding one month , but may be renewed from month to month ” By being held in unofficial segregation , Assange has been excluded from ‘ the rules ’ and therefore may have been worse off than if he had been officially segregated : “ The regime for segregated prisoners ( under Prison Rule 45 ( YOI 49 ) ) should be as full as possible and only those activities that involve associating with mainstream prisoners should be curtailed.
” – SEG PSO Here we find the legal framework designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also designed to make the authorities accountable .
In Assange ’ s case his movements have been so severely restricted that he has barely had access to his lawyers , leading them to declare that they are “ on the brink of a judicial review “ .
It was reported at Assange ’ s case hearing on 13th January 2020 , that since 19th December 2019 he had had just 2 hours with his legal team to review case evidence .
Such extreme restrictions between client and legal representatives are severely hindering his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is facing a 175 year prison sentence in a high security US federal prison if extradited .
It is important to contrast this with the way Belmarsh treated Tommy Robinson ( real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon , founder of the English Defence League ) last year while he was officially segregated inside Belmarsh , convicted of a civil offence .
In his case the governor was reported to have personally intervened to ensure he did not miss any social visits , as well as “ unlimited phone calls between 9am and 11am each morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surface Belmarsh ’ s efforts to dot the I ’ s and cross the T ’ s for Robinson appears to have been a tactical approach to appease his supporters .
This is in stark contrast with Assange who , as an unconvicted prisoner , should have more statutory rights than Robinson had , but is effectively denied access to fair treatment and justice according to the state ’ s own regulatory guidelines .
Therefore , when the HMPPS tells us that certain prisoner rights “ …are not subject to change or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any individual prisoner ’ s case… ” – then we see that rights do not need to be changed or limited to disproportionately punish one individual : all that is needed is for them to be applied fairly .
Unfortunately in the case of Julian Assange , they are not .
Solitary confinement may have also taken a toll on Assange ’ s overall health , including the potential for permanent damage .
What were the implications of solitary confinement on Assange ’ s health ?
Nils Melzer visited Assange in Belmarsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 2 medical experts specialising in the examination of potential victims of torture .
They carried out extensive assessments and Melzer described Assange ’ s condition as showing : “ … all the symptoms that are typical for a person that has been exposed to prolonged psychological torture…the evidence was overwhelmingly clear that Julian Assange had been exposed to several forms of cruel and degrading treatment which accumulatively can only be described as psychological torture.
” This raises the question that given the extreme mental and emotional distress experienced by Assange , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the auspices of the UN rapporteur , did Belmarsh show any consideration of Assange ’ s condition when it inflicted a regime of indefinite solitary confinement on him ?
Do his prison records show the level of consideration of the effects of solitary confinement on his health in the way that records for segregated prisoners are supposed to show ?
These are important questions , all of which have a direct bearing on whether Assange has been placed under a cruel and unusual regime by the state .
No recourse to law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prisoner is subject to a range of procedures as set out by Prison service order 1700 .
According to the rule books , had Assange been held in official segregation for seven months , he would have been the subject of regular board reviews , and regular visits from the Independent Monitoring Board and the governor .
In theory he would have been the focus of a multi-disciplinary review system assessing the effects of solitary confinement on his health .
But it would appear that until now , he has been placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucratic veil – effectively left to rot unaccountably for months in solitary confinement by the prison authorities .
In doing so , the British state has rendered him unable to defend himself in what is arguably the most important precedent case for freedom of the press in this young century .
Now , due to the support of other prisoners inside Belmarsh , and with Assange ’ s legal team and campaigners too , he has been moved to a wing where he can mix with other prisoners .
This is being hailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also for those in a place where , in view of the state ’ s treatment of Assange , unofficial segregation could conceivably be imposed upon anyone , anywhere and at any time .
It should not go unnoticed that the authorities have been held to account by a group of prisoners objecting to the mistreatment of an individual prisoner who happens to be recognised by the UN as being arbitrarily detained by the British government .
We should not under-estimate the significance that this group of prisoners as part of a wider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and which has made gains to bring about fairness for Assange despite the best efforts of the prison authorities and the courts to silence him .
*** Author Nina Cross is an independent writer and researcher , and contributor to 21WIRE .
To see more of her work , visit Nina ’ s archive .

By
Up until this week, Assange has been held in solitary confinement in Belmarsh prison. Incredibly, it was the other prisoners along with Assange’s legal team, who have pressured the government officials to respect the law and allow Assange to be removed from solitary confinement, resulting in his transfer to a general wing. This piece looks at how Assange was unofficially segregated in the prison’s healthcare unit, with no recourse to systems designed for prisoners in official solitary confinement regimes as applied under Prison Rule 45, leaving him out of reach of rules and law.
Nina Cross
21st Century Wire
The sustained violation of the human rights of Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, has been carried out in full view of the world throughout his arbitrary detention in HMP Belmarsh. Until now, condemnation of his treatment and pleas to end his suffering have been met with denial and silence by the British authorities. But the announcement this week that Assange has been moved out of Belmarsh healthcare unit where he has been detained in solitary confinement since May, is a sign that the campaign to stop his persecution is gaining traction. Also of significance is the involvement of his fellow inmates in helping to secure Assange’s release from solitary confinement, which suggests that within the walls of Belmarsh it is understood that the healthcare unit has been weaponized to arbitrarily isolate and punish a prisoner.
Prisoners' revolt and pressure from legal team and campaigners forces Belmarsh to move Assange out of solitary. WikiLeaks statement: pic.twitter.com/9Af9y3zC93 — Don't Extradite Assange (@DEAcampaign) January 24, 2020
Moving Assange from solitary confinement shows a shift from official government position that solitary confinement ‘does not exist’
Until now the British authorities have not only denied that Assange has been detained in solitary confinement, but that solitary confinement is not practised in British prisons.
In an attempt to mitigate growing public outrage, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been sending out letters in response to the influx of complaints it has been receiving regarding the abuse of Assange. In its response it refuses to address his case and produces a list of standards and laws written for the protection of prisoners as evidence he is in ‘safe hands.’ However, anyone who has followed the continued arbitrary detention of Assange in Belmarsh will know he has been placed effectively outside the reach of laws and standards; even access to his lawyers and legal documents, normally preserved by statutory prisoner rights – has been harshly restricted, all of which has had a crippling effect on preparation for his defence in a case of historical significance.
I asked the Prison and Probation Service why Julian #Assange doesn't have enough access to documents and lawyers despite that being a fundamental right and received an answer pic.twitter.com/vbzygEzz9R — Amelia Wittbeck (@Hanissee) January 10, 2020
The HMPPS claim that “…prisoners are not detained in solitary confinement...” could only be made after dismissing statements by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, that Assange has been held in solitary confinement, in violation of international law:
UN Standard Minimum Rules 43&44:
"Solitary confinement": 22 or more hrs/day without meaningful human contact.
If "prolonged" (15+ consecutive days) it amounts to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment & is always prohibited!https://t.co/dxe5z9A2bY — Nils Melzer (@NilsMelzer) December 31, 2019
Blanket statements of how the UK cares for all prisoners could only be made by ignoring the decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, that Assange is being arbitrarily detained, in violation of international law. What’s more, the British state’s dismissing out of hand any accusations of ‘solitary confinement’ as a falsehood or public misconception – must surely undermine the work of prison charities and scholarship in law and prison systems which exists to shed light on the consequences of solitary confinement including ill-health and suicide.
Hence, the HMPPS letter can be viewed as a public relations exercise designed to promote the image of good governance, a facade designed to mask the institution’s deployment of the very same strategy practised by the government when called upon to answer for its abuse of Assange: denial and silence.
(5/7) @foreignoffice: “The UK has a close working relationship with UN bodies & supports the important work of the #SRTorture” (https://t.co/ybkgrmeOhS) Yet: Throughout 2019 the UKGovt has consistently ignored ALL allegations, concerns & recommendations submitted by #SRTorture. — Nils Melzer (@NilsMelzer) January 13, 2020
Solitary Confinement: ‘Nothing to see here’
UN Rapporteur Nils Melzer has condemned the mistreatment of Assange, which he has measured against the UN’s definition of solitary confinement under the Standard Minimum Rules.
Until now, Assange has been locked in a cell alone for over 22 hours a day and deprived of association with other prisoners for several months. This is in breach of both the European Prison Rules and the British government’s own prison inspectorate human rights standards, recognised as follows:
“There is clear consensus in human rights standards that all prisoners, including those in segregation or cellular confinement, should have at least one hour of outside exercise in the open air every day (SMR 23.1; EPR 27; CPT 2nd General Report). This should be in addition to time spent in association with other prisoners (EPR 25.2, 27.7; CPT 2nd General Report). See also standards relating to solitary confinement (SMR 43.1, 44, 45). See also Expectation 10 and related human rights references.”
As can be seen, the inspectorate standards refer to the same laws identified by Melzer to condemn the mistreatment of Assange. For anyone doubting whether a prison healthcare unit, or any other building associated with care, could hold people in solitary confinement, the prison charity Penal Reform makes this clear:
“… when a prisoner is confined to a cell for 22 hours or more, that constitutes solitary confinement, regardless of the reason for this confinement or its name.”
The prison ombudsman also confirms the fact that solitary confinement is not dependent on location:
“Segregated conditions are also sometimes applied outside of segregation units. Prisoners can be kept on the wing, but locked in their cells for the most of the day, and taken to shower and exercise separately from other prisoners on the wing.”
Here the ombudsman is referring to official segregations, but this could just as easily be applied in describing Assange’s daily regime in Belmarsh over a period of several months, according to reports .
So what is the difference between official segregation where prisoners are detained in solitary confinement and the solitary confinement that until this week has been imposed upon Assange while in Belmarsh healthcare?
Official segregation is allowed under prison rule 45 (segregation units allowed under rule 46). It states that the removal of a prisoner from association can be enforced:
“45.—(1) Where it appears desirable, for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in his own interests, that a prisoner should not associate with other prisoners, either generally or for particular purposes, the governor may arrange for the prisoner’s removal from association accordingly.
(2) A prisoner shall not be removed under this rule for a period of more than 3 days without the authority of a member of the board of visitors or of the Secretary of State. An authority given under this paragraph shall be for a period not exceeding one month, but may be renewed from month to month”
By being held in unofficial segregation, Assange has been excluded from ‘the rules’ and therefore may have been worse off than if he had been officially segregated:
“The regime for segregated prisoners (under Prison Rule 45 (YOI 49)) should be as full as possible and only those activities that involve associating with mainstream prisoners should be curtailed.” – SEG PSO
Here we find the legal framework designed to justify segregating individual prisoners. It is also designed to make the authorities accountable.
Legal Defence: Access denied
In Assange’s case his movements have been so severely restricted that he has barely had access to his lawyers, leading them to declare that they are “on the brink of a judicial review“.
It was reported at Assange’s case hearing on 13th January 2020, that since 19th December 2019 he had had just 2 hours with his legal team to review case evidence. Such extreme restrictions between client and legal representatives are severely hindering his defence preparation, despite the fact he is facing a 175 year prison sentence in a high security US federal prison if extradited. It is important to contrast this with the way Belmarsh treated Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founder of the English Defence League) last year while he was officially segregated inside Belmarsh, convicted of a civil offence. In his case the governor was reported to have personally intervened to ensure he did not miss any social visits, as well as “unlimited phone calls between 9am and 11am each morning,” according to reports.
On the surface Belmarsh’s efforts to dot the I’s and cross the T’s for Robinson appears to have been a tactical approach to appease his supporters. This is in stark contrast with Assange who, as an unconvicted prisoner, should have more statutory rights than Robinson had, but is effectively denied access to fair treatment and justice according to the state’s own regulatory guidelines. Therefore, when the HMPPS tells us that certain prisoner rights “…are not subject to change or limitation according to the profile or details of any individual prisoner’s case…” – then we see that rights do not need to be changed or limited to disproportionately punish one individual: all that is needed is for them to be applied fairly. Unfortunately in the case of Julian Assange, they are not.
Health Implications
Solitary confinement may have also taken a toll on Assange’s overall health, including the potential for permanent damage.
What were the implications of solitary confinement on Assange’s health? Nils Melzer visited Assange in Belmarsh prison in May last year, along with 2 medical experts specialising in the examination of potential victims of torture. They carried out extensive assessments and Melzer described Assange’s condition as showing:
“… all the symptoms that are typical for a person that has been exposed to prolonged psychological torture…the evidence was overwhelmingly clear that Julian Assange had been exposed to several forms of cruel and degrading treatment which accumulatively can only be described as psychological torture.”
This raises the question that given the extreme mental and emotional distress experienced by Assange, as diagnosed by 2 experienced medical specialists, under the auspices of the UN rapporteur, did Belmarsh show any consideration of Assange’s condition when it inflicted a regime of indefinite solitary confinement on him? Do his prison records show the level of consideration of the effects of solitary confinement on his health in the way that records for segregated prisoners are supposed to show?
These are important questions, all of which have a direct bearing on whether Assange has been placed under a cruel and unusual regime by the state.
No recourse to law in unofficial segregation
The official segregation of a prisoner is subject to a range of procedures as set out by Prison service order 1700. According to the rule books, had Assange been held in official segregation for seven months, he would have been the subject of regular board reviews, and regular visits from the Independent Monitoring Board and the governor. In theory he would have been the focus of a multi-disciplinary review system assessing the effects of solitary confinement on his health. But it would appear that until now, he has been placed behind a highly opaque and politically convenient bureaucratic veil – effectively left to rot unaccountably for months in solitary confinement by the prison authorities. In doing so, the British state has rendered him unable to defend himself in what is arguably the most important precedent case for freedom of the press in this young century.
Now, due to the support of other prisoners inside Belmarsh, and with Assange’s legal team and campaigners too, he has been moved to a wing where he can mix with other prisoners. This is being hailed as a victory for Julian Assange and also for those in a place where, in view of the state’s treatment of Assange, unofficial segregation could conceivably be imposed upon anyone, anywhere and at any time.
It should not go unnoticed that the authorities have been held to account by a group of prisoners objecting to the mistreatment of an individual prisoner who happens to be recognised by the UN as being arbitrarily detained by the British government. We should not under-estimate the significance of this group of prisoners as part of a wider campaign that is clearly gaining momentum, and which has made gains to bring about fairness for Assange despite the best efforts of the prison authorities and the courts to silence him.
***
Author Nina Cross is an independent writer and researcher, and contributor to 21WIRE. To see more of her work, visit Nina’s archive.
READ MORE ASSANGE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Assange/Wikileaks Files
SUPPORT OUR MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-27--Syrian Army Continue Rapid Advance in Idlib, Controlling Key Areas West of Aleppo

Syrian Arab Army pushes into city of Maarat al-Nu ’ man , a key terrorist stronghold in Idlib ( Image Source : SANA ) The Syrian Army continued its rapid advancing on the axis of Idlib ’ s southern countryside and was able to control Wadi al-Dhaif camp , and the town of Al-Ghadfa , after violent battles with the militants of the Hayat Tahrir al Sham ( HTS , formerly aka Al-Nusra Front/al Qaeda in Syria ) and its loyal factions , bring its forces on the outskirts of the strategic city of Maarat al-Numan on the International Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army has advanced rapidly making use of the successive collapses inflicted by the initial firing on the ranks of the militants , who suffered heavy losses in the members and equipment , after the warplanes targeted their supply lines with focused raids .
By controlling over Wadi Al-Deif , the army became on the threshold of entering the city of Maarat al-Numan , located on Aleppo-Damascus Road , which is one of the largest and most strategically important cities in Idlib countryside .
In a related context , the Syrian army began rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Aleppo City , and advanced towards a number of points and locations controlled by armed factions , coinciding with the intensified air strikes carried out by the joint Syrian-Russian Air Force fighters towards the locations of militants spread in north , west and south Aleppo , while artillery and missiles continued to target the militants ’ points during the hours of Saturday night and Sunday morning , which resulted in destructing several points and ammunition depots belonging to the militants in those areas .
The clashes and initial firing operations , took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and are the most violent exchanges in years on these batle fronts located around the city .
Clashes focused on the areas of Jameat Al-Zahraa neighborhood , Al-Rashideen area , Al-Bohouth Al-Elmea , Ghabet Al-Assad and Jameat Al-Sahafeen , which resulted in killing and injuring dozens of HTS/Al-Nusra militants .
In conjunction with the Syrian military operations , the armed groups tried to open a distracting front for the Syrian Army in the area of Jam ’ at Al-Zahraa neighborhood , and they began bombing the residential part of the neighborhood with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a partial collapse of one of the residential buildings and injuries among its residents .
Syrian Army members reacted to this civilian emergency and were able to recover civilians who were trapped under the collapsed floors .

By
Syrian Arab Army pushes into city of Maarat al-Nu’man, a key terrorist stronghold in Idlib (Image Source: SANA)
Khaled Iskef
21st Century Wire
The Syrian Army continued its rapid advancing on the axis of Idlib’s southern countryside and was able to control Wadi al-Dhaif camp, and the town of Al-Ghadfa, after violent battles with the militants of the Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS, formerly aka Al-Nusra Front/al Qaeda in Syria) and its loyal factions, bring its forces on the outskirts of the strategic city of Maarat al-Numan on the International Road.
The sources indicated that the Syrian Army has advanced rapidly making use of the successive collapses inflicted by the initial firing on the ranks of the militants, who suffered heavy losses in the members and equipment, after the warplanes targeted their supply lines with focused raids. By controlling over Wadi Al-Deif, the army became on the threshold of entering the city of Maarat al-Numan, located on Aleppo-Damascus Road, which is one of the largest and most strategically important cities in Idlib countryside.
In a related context, the Syrian army began rapid ground progress operations on the western outskirts of Aleppo City, and advanced towards a number of points and locations controlled by armed factions, coinciding with the intensified air strikes carried out by the joint Syrian-Russian Air Force fighters towards the locations of militants spread in north, west and south Aleppo, while artillery and missiles continued to target the militants’ points during the hours of Saturday night and Sunday morning, which resulted in destructing several points and ammunition depots belonging to the militants in those areas.
The clashes and initial firing operations, took place near Aleppo at dawn on Sunday, and are the most violent exchanges in years on these batle fronts located around the city. Clashes focused on the areas of Jameat Al-Zahraa neighborhood, Al-Rashideen area, Al-Bohouth Al-Elmea, Ghabet Al-Assad and Jameat Al-Sahafeen, which resulted in killing and injuring dozens of HTS/Al-Nusra militants.
In conjunction with the Syrian military operations, the armed groups tried to open a distracting front for the Syrian Army in the area of Jam’at Al-Zahraa neighborhood, and they began bombing the residential part of the neighborhood with a large number of rockets that led to a partial collapse of one of the residential buildings and injuries among its residents. Syrian Army members reacted to this civilian emergency and were able to recover civilians who were trapped under the collapsed floors.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-27--BATTLE MAP: Military Update from Syria

BATTLE MAP: Military Update from Syria

Both British & US public need to understand what has been done to # WikiLeaks founder # JulianAssange – the @ @ @ @ @ he 's being treated as a purely political prisoner , as @ NinaCross25 clearly shows @ @ @ @ @ : //t.co/STNhq45VGa

By
Military analysts at South Front provide a brief overview of recent battlefield developments in Syria:
The Syrian Army is advancing to encircle Maarat al-Numan;
Militants claimed that they destroyed a Syrian Army 23mm gun position near near Binyamin with an ATGM;
Intense airstrikes were reported west, northwest and southwest of Maarat al-Numa;
US forces increased their activity in western al-Hasakah;
Pro-Israeli sources claim that Iranian-backed forces reinforced their positions in al-Buakamal and al-Mayadeen.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-28--Central Vietnam: An Enduring Legacy of How Far Washington is Willing to Go

My Lai : the old tree that survived , while the village and people around it did not ( Photo : Andre Vltchek © 2020 ) My Lai .
My Son… This story is short , but it is telling .
And I have travelled far , in order to bring it to my readers .
My Lai hamlet in Central Vietnam may be one of the most gruesome and symbolic places on earth , like Nanking or Auschwitz .
It clearly depicts just how monstrous war can be , and how ruthless , appalling the occupiers can become .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have on our lips now , when it appears that the “ Empire ” ruled from Washington is once again ready to attack several countries , all over the world .
But is President Donald Trump an insane anomaly , or just a continuation of ruthless and sadistic rulers ?
To answer this question , I travelled back to Vietnam , a country which used to be my home , almost two decades ago .
Located near the city of Quang Ngai , the village of My Lai is about 150 kilometers south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even appear on most of the maps of Vietnam .
So small , so humble .
And yet , and yet… According to Oliver Kendrick and his work , “ The My Lai Massacre in American History and Memory ” [ Manchester University Press , 2006 ] : “ On the morning of 16 March at 7:30 a.m. , around 100 soldiers from Charlie Company led by [ Captain Ernest ] Medina , following a short artillery and helicopter gunship barrage , landed in helicopters at Sơn Mỹ , a patchwork of settlements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dikes , and dirt roads , connecting an assortment of hamlets and sub-hamlets .
The largest among them were the hamlets Mỹ Lai , Cổ Lũy , Mỹ Khê , and Tu Cung… ” What followed was a massacre , of the most monstrous sort .
A massacre of children , adults and elderly people .
To describe what occurred , Vietnamese sources used very different language to Mr. Kendrick ’ s .
This is part of a transcript released by the National Liberation Front Committee of Quang Ngai Province , dated March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of March 16 , 1968 , just like any other normal mornings , the people of Son My commune… were starting a day of production , suddenly the enemy artillery from Ram mountain… shoot for hours… Following that , nine American helicopters landed three times surrounding two small villages .
Having left the planes , the GIs as wild beasts rushed to the villages to kill everyone .
They are divided into three groups : one to kill , one to burn the houses , one to cut trees and kill animals… ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Photo : Andre Vltchek ) Her last moments , before her deliverance to U.S. freedom and democracy ( Photo : Andre Vltchek ) Corpses on one of the roads of My Lai ( Photo : Andre Vltchek ) Mrs Nguyen : one unlikely martyr at the hands of U.S. soldiers in My Lai ( Photo : Andre Vltchek ) 500 people died .
500 innocent civilians .
No one even opened fire at the arriving U.S. helicopters .
There were no armed men on the ground .
The Vietnamese civilians were just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their fields .
The massacre was systematic , sadistic and took hours .
No one was spared : old women , babies , nobody .
Only one U.S. soldier refused to participate ; an African-American who deliberately shot himself in the foot .
Others clearly enjoyed their monstrous endeavor .
Historic black and white photographs exhibited at the local museum , show American GIs resting after committing mass murder : lying in the grass , smiling , joking , content .
Not one person went to prison .
Some individuals got decorated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapists .
The President of the United States , at the time when the massacre took place , was Lyndon B. Johnson ( LBJ ) , a Democrat .
Not that it mattered much .
Crimes against humanity were committed by his predecessor JFK ( Democrat ) , as well as by his successor Richard Nixon ( Republican ) .
They are being committed presently , by the current administration of Donald Trump .
That is somehow answering my rhetorical question printed above .
A question about Trump .
All this has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be kept in context .
This year , in 2020 , and right before the beginning of the auspicious “ Year of The Rat ” ( according to the Chinese calendar ) began , I was the only foreigner paying tribute to the victims of My Lai massacre .
The only one .
There was only one Vietnamese traveler , sitting on a bench , in front of the ruins of one of the houses of May Lai .
He was resting his head in his palms , in grief .
Perhaps he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe a relative of those who died here , half a century ago .
Remains of the foundation of a house torched by US soldiers in My Lai ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) I wonder , why no one came ?
How sick and telling that nobody was there .
Out of the billions of people inhabiting this planet , nobody gave a shit to travel here .
GIs killed millions , all over Southeast Asia .
In Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos .
B-52s bombed everything that moved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaughtering sadistically elderly people .
Often I was told : “ My Lai is not the most terrible atrocity U.S. committed in Vietnam .
There were thousands places like that ” .
I know… Still , My Lai , as well as the No Gun Ri massacre in South Korea ( where U.S. forces massacred an undefined number of refugees ) are supposed to be the symbols of U.S. crimes against humanity .
So why ; why is no one here , why does no one remember ?
When I used to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archeological site of My Son , I had to leave my car at the entrance , and take a Vietnamese military 4WD .
It is because the entire area was a minefield , even decades after the U.S. carpet bombing campaigns had stopped .
My Son is a UNESCO-inscribed world heritage site , and this is what The United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization has to say about it , on its website : “ Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Viet Nam .
This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence… ” Its importance did not save it from savage bombing by the U.S. Air Force , during the Vietnam War ( called , more precisely , “ The American War ” in Vietnam ) .
To this day , the entire area is dotted with craters , and visitors are discouraged from venturing off the beaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unexploded cluster bombs all over the area .
50 years later , exploded US cluster bombs still ravage the landscape ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) Still dangerous bomb craters interrupt an otherwise beautiful nature landscape ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) My Son sanctuary funded by the Japanese government ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) The craters are marked .
But in the museum financed by the Japanese government , there is no mention of the U.S. cultural barbarity .
There are only very few photos of the aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Funding from perpetrators of Southeast Asian genocides and their allies comes with one condition : silence .
And Japan got fat and rich because of its collaboration with the West , during both the Korean and Vietnam wars .
My Son clearly pronounces what the people of Iran and other places on earth , at the beginning of the 21st Century , are afraid to even imagine : the United States can and periodically does bomb and even liquidates important cultural heritage sites and centers… and even world heritage sites , located in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as its enemies and adversaries .
Washington ’ s military clique does it against all international conventions , and with total impunity .
It does it for no military reasons ; just out of spite .
Trump is not just bragging , nor only intimidating .
Others , before him , have already done it , they dared .
And he would not think twice visiting the same destruction .
My Lai and My Son , in Central Vietnam .
Two different stories , two atrocities .
One against the people , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally lost in some of the most beautiful countryside of Southeast Asia .
Both places inhabited by people with an ancient culture .
But the depth of culture matters very little to the Empire .
Be these the cultures of Vietnam or Cambodia , of Indonesia , Sy ria , Iran or China .
Fundamentalist Washington only accepts full , unconditional submission .
If that is not achieved , a country , its people and its heritage sites get bombed into the ground .
A similar logic to that of the Taliban dynamiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacking Palmyra , is applied by the Empire .
And so , whenever Washington gets ready to devour its next victim , I travel to Vietnam .
It is because being here , things somehow fall into perspective .
Communist Vietnam is enjoying its independence .
It suffered tremendously , but it rose and fought .
It first defeated French colonialists , and then the U.S. imperialists .
It lost millions of people , but it saved its country for future generations .
If Vietnam could , others can , too .
Ho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lai today ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) While we know many heartbreaking accounts from My Lai , including various local testimonies as well as foreign analyses , very few have access to what followed , including the Urgent Declaration from March 25 , 1968 of the National Liberation front Committee of Mid-Central Vietnam : “ The National Liberation Front of Mid-Central Vietnam denounces violently atrocious crimes of the American aggressor and the South Korean mercenaries… it sends sadness shares to the families massacred by U.S. soldiers and call upon the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy with the whole people to wipe out the enemy .
The whole people , cadres and soldiers engrave this pain on their mind to turn vindictive hatred into strength .
Keeping on attacking , rising up to wipe out the U.S. soldiers , the Quisling , the vassals .
Punish the thug , striking deadly blows into the American aggressor… ” The statement ends with a call for independence .
An independence , which was eventually achieved .
Somehow , I always believed that this statement should be taught at schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , almost no one dares to use this simple but determinate logic .
The grammar may not be perfect , but the message is clear .
A country can defend itself from evil , no matter how great the evil is .
And it can win , against all the odds .
If it is determined , if it is brave , and if it puts its ideology and independence first .
Mother & Child : decades after the devastation of US occupation , residents experience real independence and dignity ( Photo : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a shining star of Southeast Asia , with no slums and one of the most optimistic populations on earth .
It stands in striking contrast to such horrid places like Indonesia , where Western imperialism defeated socialism , consequently ruining the environment and keeping the majority of people in misery .
We should celebrate Vietnam ’ s heroism .
But we should never forget that millions died , while fighting for its freedom .
SOME STILL REMEMBER : A monument to victims in My Lai ( Photo : Andre Vltchek© 2020 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novelist , filmmaker and investigative journalist .
He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries .
Five of his latest books are “ China Belt and Road Initiative : Connecting Countries , Saving Millions of Lives ” , “ China and Ecological Cavillation ” with John B. Cobb , Jr. , Revolutionary Optimism , Western Nihilism the revolutionary novel “ Aurora ” and the bestselling work of political non-fiction : “ Exposing Lies Of The Empire ” .
View his other books here .
Watch Rwanda Gambit , his groundbreaking documentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Noam Chomsky “ On Western Terrorism ” .
Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East , and continues to work around the world .
He can be reached through his website and his .
His Patreon .

By
My Lai: the old tree that survived, while the village and people around it did not (Photo: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
Andre Vltchek
21st Century Wire
My Lai. My Son… This story is short, but it is telling. And I have travelled far, in order to bring it to my readers.
My Lai hamlet in Central Vietnam may be one of the most gruesome and symbolic places on earth, like Nanking or Auschwitz. It clearly depicts just how monstrous war can be, and how ruthless, appalling the occupiers can become.
It is also a place we should have on our lips now, when it appears that the “Empire” ruled from Washington is once again ready to attack several countries, all over the world.
But is President Donald Trump an insane anomaly, or just a continuation of ruthless and sadistic rulers?
To answer this question, I travelled back to Vietnam, a country which used to be my home, almost two decades ago.
Located near the city of Quang Ngai, the village of My Lai is about 150 kilometers south from Danang, and it does not even appear on most of the maps of Vietnam. So small, so humble. And yet, and yet…
According to Oliver Kendrick and his work, “The My Lai Massacre in American History and Memory” [Manchester University Press, 2006]:
“On the morning of 16 March at 7:30 a.m., around 100 soldiers from Charlie Company led by [Captain Ernest] Medina, following a short artillery and helicopter gunship barrage, landed in helicopters at Sơn Mỹ, a patchwork of settlements, rice paddies, irrigation ditches, dikes, and dirt roads, connecting an assortment of hamlets and sub-hamlets. The largest among them were the hamlets Mỹ Lai, Cổ Lũy, Mỹ Khê, and Tu Cung…”
What followed was a massacre, of the most monstrous sort. A massacre of children, adults and elderly people.
To describe what occurred, Vietnamese sources used very different language to Mr. Kendrick’s. This is part of a transcript released by the National Liberation Front Committee of Quang Ngai Province, dated March 25, 1968:
“Early morning of March 16, 1968, just like any other normal mornings, the people of Son My commune… were starting a day of production, suddenly the enemy artillery from Ram mountain… shoot for hours… Following that, nine American helicopters landed three times surrounding two small villages. Having left the planes, the GIs as wild beasts rushed to the villages to kill everyone. They are divided into three groups: one to kill, one to burn the houses, one to cut trees and kill animals…”
People of My Lai before being slaughtered (Photo: Andre Vltchek)
Her last moments, before her deliverance to U.S. freedom and democracy (Photo: Andre Vltchek)
Corpses on one of the roads of My Lai (Photo: Andre Vltchek)
Mrs Nguyen: one unlikely martyr at the hands of U.S. soldiers in My Lai (Photo: Andre Vltchek)
500 people died. 500 innocent civilians. No one even opened fire at the arriving U.S. helicopters. There were no armed men on the ground. The Vietnamese civilians were just there, living their lives, tending their fields.
The massacre was systematic, sadistic and took hours.
No one was spared: old women, babies, nobody.
Only one U.S. soldier refused to participate; an African-American who deliberately shot himself in the foot. Others clearly enjoyed their monstrous endeavor. Historic black and white photographs exhibited at the local museum, show American GIs resting after committing mass murder: lying in the grass, smiling, joking, content.
Not one person went to prison. Some individuals got decorated. Empire is good to its killers and rapists.
US soldiers taking a cigarette break after slaughtering 500 innocent civilians (Photo: Andre Vltchek)
The President of the United States, at the time when the massacre took place, was Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ), a Democrat. Not that it mattered much. Crimes against humanity were committed by his predecessor JFK (Democrat), as well as by his successor Richard Nixon (Republican). They are being committed presently, by the current administration of Donald Trump.
That is somehow answering my rhetorical question printed above. A question about Trump.
All this has to be remembered. All this has to be kept in context.
This year, in 2020, and right before the beginning of the auspicious “Year of The Rat” (according to the Chinese calendar) began, I was the only foreigner paying tribute to the victims of My Lai massacre. The only one.
There was only one Vietnamese traveler, sitting on a bench, in front of the ruins of one of the houses of May Lai. He was resting his head in his palms, in grief. Perhaps he was not a traveler, after all. Maybe a relative of those who died here, half a century ago.
Remains of the foundation of a house torched by US soldiers in My Lai (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
I wonder, why no one came? How sick and telling that nobody was there. Out of the billions of people inhabiting this planet, nobody gave a shit to travel here.
GIs killed millions, all over Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. B-52s bombed everything that moved. Soldiers on the ground raped children, slaughtering sadistically elderly people. Often I was told: “My Lai is not the most terrible atrocity U.S. committed in Vietnam. There were thousands places like that”. I know… Still, My Lai, as well as the No Gun Ri massacre in South Korea (where U.S. forces massacred an undefined number of refugees) are supposed to be the symbols of U.S. crimes against humanity.
So why; why is no one here, why does no one remember?
HUMANITY’S HERITAGE: Ancient temple at Mỹ Sơn, Quang Nam province (Photo: Thomas Hirsch CC)
A couple of a hundred kilometers north – My Son.
When I used to live in Vietnam, while visiting the great archeological site of My Son, I had to leave my car at the entrance, and take a Vietnamese military 4WD. It is because the entire area was a minefield, even decades after the U.S. carpet bombing campaigns had stopped.
My Son is a UNESCO-inscribed world heritage site, and this is what The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has to say about it, on its website:
“Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence…”
Its importance did not save it from savage bombing by the U.S. Air Force, during the Vietnam War (called, more precisely, “The American War” in Vietnam).
To this day, the entire area is dotted with craters, and visitors are discouraged from venturing off the beaten tracks, as there are tons of unexploded cluster bombs all over the area.
50 years later, exploded US cluster bombs still ravage the landscape (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
Still dangerous bomb craters interrupt an otherwise beautiful nature landscape (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
My Son sanctuary funded by the Japanese government (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
The craters are marked. But in the museum financed by the Japanese government, there is no mention of the U.S. cultural barbarity. There are only very few photos of the aftermath, with close to no comments. Funding from perpetrators of Southeast Asian genocides and their allies comes with one condition: silence. And Japan got fat and rich because of its collaboration with the West, during both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
My Son clearly pronounces what the people of Iran and other places on earth, at the beginning of the 21st Century, are afraid to even imagine: the United States can and periodically does bomb and even liquidates important cultural heritage sites and centers… and even world heritage sites, located in the territories of the states it defines as its enemies and adversaries. Washington’s military clique does it against all international conventions, and with total impunity. It does it for no military reasons; just out of spite.
Trump is not just bragging, nor only intimidating. Others, before him, have already done it, they dared. And he would not think twice visiting the same destruction.
….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
My Lai and My Son, in Central Vietnam. Two different stories, two atrocities. One against the people, the other against the culture.
Both places literally lost in some of the most beautiful countryside of Southeast Asia. Both places inhabited by people with an ancient culture.
But the depth of culture matters very little to the Empire. Be these the cultures of Vietnam or Cambodia, of Indonesia, Sy ria, Iran or China. Fundamentalist Washington only accepts full, unconditional submission. If that is not achieved, a country, its people and its heritage sites get bombed into the ground. A similar logic to that of the Taliban dynamiting the Buddhas of Bamyan, or ISIS sacking Palmyra, is applied by the Empire.
And so, whenever Washington gets ready to devour its next victim, I travel to Vietnam. It is because being here, things somehow fall into perspective.
Communist Vietnam is enjoying its independence. It suffered tremendously, but it rose and fought. It first defeated French colonialists, and then the U.S. imperialists. It lost millions of people, but it saved its country for future generations.
If Vietnam could, others can, too.
Ho Chi Minh and Communist flag in My Lai today (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
While we know many heartbreaking accounts from My Lai, including various local testimonies as well as foreign analyses, very few have access to what followed, including the Urgent Declaration from March 25, 1968 of the National Liberation front Committee of Mid-Central Vietnam:
“The National Liberation Front of Mid-Central Vietnam denounces violently atrocious crimes of the American aggressor and the South Korean mercenaries… it sends sadness shares to the families massacred by U.S. soldiers and call upon the people turn pain into action, contribute their energy with the whole people to wipe out the enemy. The whole people, cadres and soldiers engrave this pain on their mind to turn vindictive hatred into strength. Keeping on attacking, rising up to wipe out the U.S. soldiers, the Quisling, the vassals. Punish the thug, striking deadly blows into the American aggressor…”
The statement ends with a call for independence.
An independence, which was eventually achieved.
Somehow, I always believed that this statement should be taught at schools, all over the world. These days, almost no one dares to use this simple but determinate logic. The grammar may not be perfect, but the message is clear. A country can defend itself from evil, no matter how great the evil is. And it can win, against all the odds.
If it is determined, if it is brave, and if it puts its ideology and independence first.
Mother & Child: decades after the devastation of US occupation, residents experience real independence and dignity (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
Today, Vietnam is a shining star of Southeast Asia, with no slums and one of the most optimistic populations on earth.
It stands in striking contrast to such horrid places like Indonesia, where Western imperialism defeated socialism, consequently ruining the environment and keeping the majority of people in misery.
We should celebrate Vietnam’s heroism. But we should never forget that millions died, while fighting for its freedom.
SOME STILL REMEMBER: A monument to victims in My Lai (Photo: Andre Vltchek© 2020)
***
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Five of his latest books are “China Belt and Road Initiative: Connecting Countries, Saving Millions of Lives”, “China and Ecological Cavillation” with John B. Cobb, Jr., Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism , the revolutionary novel “Aurora” and the bestselling work of political non-fiction: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire”. View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “On Western Terrorism”. Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter . His Patreon.
READ MORE ASIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Asia Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-01-28--Syrian Army Liberates Maarat Al-Numan, Key Militant Stronghold in Idlib

The Battle for Idlib saw a key militant stronghold fall yesterday , as Syrian Army forces stormed the Idlib town of Maarat al-Numan , pushing the HTS/Al-Nusra terrorist brigades into a retreat position , further north towards the Turkish border .
This important strategic advance will give Damascus addition leverage towards securing the all-important International Road which links Aleppo to Damascus , and also to free up addition resources push harder against militants encamped in the western Aleppo countryside .
“ We need new heavy arms to deter Russia ’ s advanced weaponry … .
We possess anti-armour missiles but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not counter modern Russian tanks , ” said one HTS militant speaking on condition of anonymity .
“ We are in a very desperate position and we need a miracle , ” he added .
On January 27 evening , units of the Syrian Army continued their operation in southeastern Idlib .
Government troops liberated Hamidiya , Bseida , Maasaran , Tal Al-Shih , Maziyan and several other villages .
By this advance , the army fully besieged Maarat al-Numan from the northern , southern and eastern directions .
According to pro-government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not planning to defend the encircled city for a long time .
They are actively planting mines and IEDs in the area .
Therefore , even if militants withdraw from Maarat al-Numan via the remaining corridor , government troops will not be able to secure the city immediately .
On January 28 , government sources claimed that the Syrian Army had already entered Maarat al-Numan .
However , government forces still have to remove IEDs and fortify their new positions .
The Syrian Army offensive in southeastern Idlib is ongoing under the nose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Hat .
In the event of further advances by the army , the observation post will likely be encircled by Syrian forces .
This will be the third Turkish observation post that faced this fate .
The previous two are located near Surman and Morek .
Pro-opposition sources blame Turkey for the recent setbacks of al-Qaeda-linked groups .
According to them , Ankara conspired with Moscow in order to undermine the so-called Syrian revolution .
They also claim that the redeployment of members of Turkish-backed militant groups from Syria to Libya undermined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Libyan National Army , a rival of the pro-Turkish Libyan Government of National Accord , claims the number of Turkish-backed fighters that were prepared to be deployed to Libya was over 8,000 .
Earlier , reports appeared that at least 2,400 Turkish proxy fighters had been already sent to Libya .

By
The Battle for Idlib saw a key militant stronghold fall yesterday, as Syrian Army forces stormed the Idlib town of Maarat al-Numan, pushing the HTS/Al-Nusra terrorist brigades into a retreat position, further north towards the Turkish border.
This important strategic advance will give Damascus addition leverage towards securing the all-important International Road which links Aleppo to Damascus, and also to free up addition resources push harder against militants encamped in the western Aleppo countryside.
“We need new heavy arms to deter Russia’s advanced weaponry …. We possess anti-armour missiles but they are old and undeveloped. They cannot counter modern Russian tanks,” said one HTS militant speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We are in a very desperate position and we need a miracle,” he added.
South Front reports…
On January 27 evening, units of the Syrian Army continued their operation in southeastern Idlib. Government troops liberated Hamidiya, Bseida, Maasaran, Tal Al-Shih, Maziyan and several other villages. By this advance, the army fully besieged Maarat al-Numan from the northern, southern and eastern directions.
According to pro-government sources, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants are not planning to defend the encircled city for a long time. They are actively planting mines and IEDs in the area. Therefore, even if militants withdraw from Maarat al-Numan via the remaining corridor, government troops will not be able to secure the city immediately.
On January 28, government sources claimed that the Syrian Army had already entered Maarat al-Numan. However, government forces still have to remove IEDs and fortify their new positions.
The Syrian Army offensive in southeastern Idlib is ongoing under the nose of the Turkish observation post near Maarat al-Hat. In the event of further advances by the army, the observation post will likely be encircled by Syrian forces. This will be the third Turkish observation post that faced this fate. The previous two are located near Surman and Morek.
Pro-opposition sources blame Turkey for the recent setbacks of al-Qaeda-linked groups. According to them, Ankara conspired with Moscow in order to undermine the so-called Syrian revolution. They also claim that the redeployment of members of Turkish-backed militant groups from Syria to Libya undermined the defense of Idlib. On January 26, the Libyan National Army, a rival of the pro-Turkish Libyan Government of National Accord, claims the number of Turkish-backed fighters that were prepared to be deployed to Libya was over 8,000. Earlier, reports appeared that at least 2,400 Turkish proxy fighters had been already sent to Libya.
Continue this story at South Front
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV