mintpressnews--2020-10-12--In Afghanistan, American Troops Patrol the Same Routes Their Fathers Did

Nineteen years ago last week the United States invaded Afghanistan , a country halfway around the world that few in America had heard of and even fewer knew anything about .
Today , thousands of U.S. soldiers and many more private military contractors continue to pace and patrol exactly the same routes as their predecessors did in 2001 , fighting a seemingly endless and pointless conflict that both the American and Afghan public have long since soured on .
One example of this is Master Sgt .
Trevor deBoer , deployed to the country three times with the 20th Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , people asked why I was going , and my response was , ‘ So my sons don ’ t have to fight this war , ’ ” deBoer told military news site Stars and Stripes .
But , ironically for deBoer , Afghanistan is exactly where his son , Spc .
Payton Sluss ended up , metaphorically and literally walking in his footsteps .
“ My feet were walking the same land you were , ” Sluss said to his father .
This father-son dynamic is not as unique as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profiled a number of other parents and children in the same situation .
The story was another case of life imitating art , as it bore an eerie resemblance to a three-year-old article in the satire outlet The Onion , called “ Soldier Excited To Take Over Father ’ s Old Afghanistan Patrol Route.
” In it , a fictional interviewee claims that “ It ’ s just so incredible that I ’ ll soon be walking the very same footpath as my old man , securing the perimeter of Camp Chapman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many years ago , ” expressing his pride in taking flak from the same angry rebel groups and dodging IEDs on the same deserted roads .
But reality is increasingly driving satirists out of a job these days .
A new poll found that Americans are extremely weary of the conflict and want it to come to an end as soon as possible .
Nearly 62 percent of the country backed a peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed in February , with the number of respondents who want to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been defeated ” dropping from 30 percent in 2019 to just 15 percent today .
The poll also found that Americans want a decrease in foreign interventions and military presence around the world .
About twice as many favor cutting the military budget than increasing it .
President Trump appeared to be on the verge of pulling out of Afghanistan for good in the summer and was in negotiations for a peace deal .
However , anonymous intelligence officials leaked stories to The New York Times , Washington Post , and Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later Iran , were paying off the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers , causing a media storm that was used as the basis to postpone the withdrawal .
Trump is now claiming only that U.S. troops “ should ” be out by Christmas .
The United States and its allies quickly invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks , citing the Taliban ’ s refusal to hand over chief suspect Osama Bin Laden .
Yet the Taliban were , in fact , willing to negotiate through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the chance .
Bin Laden was captured and killed in 2011 — over nine years ago — yet the United States has still not left the country .
The Trump administration has even ramped up the war , dropping the “ Mother of All Bombs ” — the largest non-nuclear explosion in world history — in 2017 .
Between January and October of 2018 , it dropped 5,982 more bombs , the highest number in over a decade .
The humanitarian cost of the war is debated , with little agreement about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan ’ s people .
What is not in doubt is the attitude of Afghans .
A poll published last year found that zero percent of respondents described themselves as “ thriving , ” and 85 percent described their situation as “ suffering.
” Less than half the country said they experienced any enjoyment in the previous day , while 52 percent admitted to constantly worrying .
The $ 2 trillion conflict has much to do with it .
The war has a serious effect on American lives too , and not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Oregon , for instance , was not able to effectively tackle this summer ’ s record-breaking wildfires because their firefighting helicopters had been requisitioned by the Department of Defense and sent to Afghanistan to continue bombing the country .
Over 1 million acres of Oregonian land was destroyed , and eleven people were killed as a result .
Continuing to send fathers and sons off to fight in foreign lands will mean fewer resources at home .
Feature photo | An Afghan boy watches Cpt .
Chris Esrey of Havelock , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5th Marines , First Marine Division , company , scan the area during a patrol in Sangin , south of Kabul , Afghanistan .
Dusan Vranic | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Canary .

Nineteen years ago last week the United States invaded Afghanistan, a country halfway around the world that few in America had heard of and even fewer knew anything about. Today, thousands of U.S. soldiers and many more private military contractors continue to pace and patrol exactly the same routes as their predecessors did in 2001, fighting a seemingly endless and pointless conflict that both the American and Afghan public have long since soured on.
One example of this is Master Sgt. Trevor deBoer, deployed to the country three times with the 20th Special Forces Group. “When we started this, people asked why I was going, and my response was, ‘So my sons don’t have to fight this war,’” deBoer told military news site Stars and Stripes.
But, ironically for deBoer, Afghanistan is exactly where his son, Spc. Payton Sluss ended up, metaphorically and literally walking in his footsteps. “My feet were walking the same land you were,” Sluss said to his father. This father-son dynamic is not as unique as one might expect; Stars and Stripes also profiled a number of other parents and children in the same situation.
The story was another case of life imitating art, as it bore an eerie resemblance to a three-year-old article in the satire outlet The Onion, called “Soldier Excited To Take Over Father’s Old Afghanistan Patrol Route.” In it, a fictional interviewee claims that “It’s just so incredible that I’ll soon be walking the very same footpath as my old man, securing the perimeter of Camp Chapman in Khost Province just like he did so many years ago,” expressing his pride in taking flak from the same angry rebel groups and dodging IEDs on the same deserted roads. But reality is increasingly driving satirists out of a job these days.
A new poll found that Americans are extremely weary of the conflict and want it to come to an end as soon as possible. Nearly 62 percent of the country backed a peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed in February, with the number of respondents who want to keep troops in Afghanistan until “all enemies have been defeated” dropping from 30 percent in 2019 to just 15 percent today. The poll also found that Americans want a decrease in foreign interventions and military presence around the world. About twice as many favor cutting the military budget than increasing it.
President Trump appeared to be on the verge of pulling out of Afghanistan for good in the summer and was in negotiations for a peace deal. However, anonymous intelligence officials leaked stories to The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal alleging that Russia, and later Iran, were paying off the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers, causing a media storm that was used as the basis to postpone the withdrawal. Trump is now claiming only that U.S. troops “should” be out by Christmas.
A costly humanitarian war
The United States and its allies quickly invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, citing the Taliban’s refusal to hand over chief suspect Osama Bin Laden. Yet the Taliban were, in fact, willing to negotiate through neutral third parties, but were not given the chance. Bin Laden was captured and killed in 2011 — over nine years ago — yet the United States has still not left the country. The Trump administration has even ramped up the war, dropping the “Mother of All Bombs” — the largest non-nuclear explosion in world history — in 2017. Between January and October of 2018, it dropped 5,982 more bombs, the highest number in over a decade.
The humanitarian cost of the war is debated, with little agreement about the scale of the violence perpetrated against Afghanistan’s people. What is not in doubt is the attitude of Afghans. A poll published last year found that zero percent of respondents described themselves as “thriving,” and 85 percent described their situation as “suffering.” Less than half the country said they experienced any enjoyment in the previous day, while 52 percent admitted to constantly worrying. The $2 trillion conflict has much to do with it.
The war has a serious effect on American lives too, and not just those of the military. The state of Oregon, for instance, was not able to effectively tackle this summer’s record-breaking wildfires because their firefighting helicopters had been requisitioned by the Department of Defense and sent to Afghanistan to continue bombing the country. Over 1 million acres of Oregonian land was destroyed, and eleven people were killed as a result. Continuing to send fathers and sons off to fight in foreign lands will mean fewer resources at home.
Feature photo | An Afghan boy watches Cpt. Chris Esrey of Havelock, North Carolina, with India, 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, First Marine Division, company, scan the area during a patrol in Sangin, south of Kabul, Afghanistan. Dusan Vranic | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-10-12--IMF Seizes on Pandemic to Pave Way for Privatization in 81 Countries

The enormous economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to fundamentally alter the structure of society , and the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) if using the crisis to implement near-permanent austerity measures across the world .
76 of the 91 loans it has negotiated with 81 nations since the beginning of the worldwide pandemic in March have come attached with demands that countries adopt measures such as deep cuts to public services and pensions — measures that will undoubtedly entail privatization , wage freezes or cuts , or the firing of public sector workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighters .
The principal cheerleader for neoliberal austerity measures across the globe for decades , the IMF has recently ( quietly ) begun admitting that these policies have not worked and generally make problems like poverty , uneven development , and inequality even worse .
Furthermore , they have also failed even to bring the promised economic growth that was meant to counteract these negative effects .
In 2016 , it described its own policies as “ oversold ” and earlier summed up its experiments in Latin America as “ all pain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports explicitly state its policies do not work .
“ The IMF has sounded the alarm about a massive spike in inequality in the wake of the pandemic .
Yet it is steering countries to pay for pandemic spending by making austerity cuts that will fuel poverty and inequality , ” Chema Vera , Interim Executive Director of Oxfam International , said today .
Oxfam has identified at least 14 countries that it expects will imminently freeze or cut public sector wages and jobs .
Tunisia , for example , has only 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its already scant healthcare system would cripple it in its fight against the coronavirus .
“ If people can ’ t afford testing and care for COVID-19 and other health needs , the virus will continue to spread unchecked and more people will die .
Out-of-pocket healthcare expenses were a tragedy before the pandemic , and now they are a death sentence , ” Vera added .
Ecuador is a perfect example of the consequences of IMF actions .
Previously ruled by the radical administration of Rafael Correa , who made poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its sister organization the World Bank , and gave asylum to Western dissidents like Julian Assange , the country has been ruled by Lenin Moreno since 2017 .
Moreno immediately began unpicking Correa ’ s legacy , even attempting to prosecute him .
In 2019 , on orders from the IMF , Moreno slashed the country ’ s health budget by 36 percent in exchange for a $ 4.2 billion loan from the IMF , a move which provoked massive , nationwide protests that threatened to derail his administration .
The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s largest city , Guayaquil , became the worldwide hotspot for coronavirus , with bodies left to rot in the streets for days as services were overwhelmed .
The city suffered more deaths than New York City at its height , and with far less infrastructure to deal with the problem .
While the official number of cases in the country is low , the death rate has been among the highest in the world , suggesting that services have been completely overwhelmed .
Earlier this month , Moreno announced a new $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has advised his government to backtrack on emergency increases in health spending , stop cash transfers to those unable to work due to the virus and to cut fuel subsidies for the poor .
The IMF also directly interferes with the internal politics of sovereign nations .
In March , it refused to lend to the Venezuelan government because of the “ lack of clarity ” about who was in charge , suggesting that the democratically-elected Nicolas Maduro would have to step down before they would consider lending to the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-declared president and opposition figure Juan Guaidó announced that he had secured a $ 1.2 billion commitment from the organization on the proviso that Maduro resigns and allow an “ emergency government ” to take control of the country .
A poll taken in the same month by a sympathetic pollster found that only three percent of Venezuelans backed Guaidó .
In crisis , there is always opportunity .
For many , the pandemic is an opportunity to reorient the economy away from mass consumption and towards a more ecologically sustainable system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being used to push through more privatizations and austerity measures that invariably enrich the wealthy and weaken the poor and the powerless .
It appears that , if the organization has its way , that it will be the poor who pay for the pandemic , while the rich prosper .
Feature photo | A demonstrator holds a banner against International Monetary Fund during a protest in Quito , Ecuador , May 18 , 2020 .
Photo | Dolores Ochoa .
Editing by MintPress News Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The enormous economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to fundamentally alter the structure of society, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if using the crisis to implement near-permanent austerity measures across the world.
76 of the 91 loans it has negotiated with 81 nations since the beginning of the worldwide pandemic in March have come attached with demands that countries adopt measures such as deep cuts to public services and pensions — measures that will undoubtedly entail privatization, wage freezes or cuts, or the firing of public sector workers like doctors, nurses, teachers and firefighters.
The principal cheerleader for neoliberal austerity measures across the globe for decades, the IMF has recently (quietly) begun admitting that these policies have not worked and generally make problems like poverty, uneven development, and inequality even worse. Furthermore, they have also failed even to bring the promised economic growth that was meant to counteract these negative effects. In 2016, it described its own policies as “oversold” and earlier summed up its experiments in Latin America as “all pain, no gain.” Thus, its own reports explicitly state its policies do not work.
“The IMF has sounded the alarm about a massive spike in inequality in the wake of the pandemic. Yet it is steering countries to pay for pandemic spending by making austerity cuts that will fuel poverty and inequality,” Chema Vera, Interim Executive Director of Oxfam International, said today.
These measures could leave millions of people without access to healthcare or income support while they search for work, and could thwart any hope of sustainable recovery. In taking this approach, the IMF is doing an injustice to its own research. Its head needs to start speaking to its hands.”
Oxfam has identified at least 14 countries that it expects will imminently freeze or cut public sector wages and jobs. Tunisia, for example, has only 13 doctors per 10,000 people. Any cuts to its already scant healthcare system would cripple it in its fight against the coronavirus. “If people can’t afford testing and care for COVID-19 and other health needs, the virus will continue to spread unchecked and more people will die. Out-of-pocket healthcare expenses were a tragedy before the pandemic, and now they are a death sentence,” Vera added.
An IMF case study
Ecuador is a perfect example of the consequences of IMF actions. Previously ruled by the radical administration of Rafael Correa, who made poverty reduction a priority, condemned the IMF and its sister organization the World Bank, and gave asylum to Western dissidents like Julian Assange, the country has been ruled by Lenin Moreno since 2017. Moreno immediately began unpicking Correa’s legacy, even attempting to prosecute him. In 2019, on orders from the IMF, Moreno slashed the country’s health budget by 36 percent in exchange for a $4.2 billion loan from the IMF, a move which provoked massive, nationwide protests that threatened to derail his administration.
The results were near-apocalyptic, as the country’s largest city, Guayaquil, became the worldwide hotspot for coronavirus, with bodies left to rot in the streets for days as services were overwhelmed. The city suffered more deaths than New York City at its height, and with far less infrastructure to deal with the problem. While the official number of cases in the country is low, the death rate has been among the highest in the world, suggesting that services have been completely overwhelmed.
Earlier this month, Moreno announced a new $6.5 billion deal with the IMF, who has advised his government to backtrack on emergency increases in health spending, stop cash transfers to those unable to work due to the virus and to cut fuel subsidies for the poor.
In crisis, opportunity
The IMF also directly interferes with the internal politics of sovereign nations. In March, it refused to lend to the Venezuelan government because of the “lack of clarity” about who was in charge, suggesting that the democratically-elected Nicolas Maduro would have to step down before they would consider lending to the country. At the same time, however, self-declared president and opposition figure Juan Guaidó announced that he had secured a $1.2 billion commitment from the organization on the proviso that Maduro resigns and allow an “emergency government” to take control of the country. A poll taken in the same month by a sympathetic pollster found that only three percent of Venezuelans backed Guaidó.
In crisis, there is always opportunity. For many, the pandemic is an opportunity to reorient the economy away from mass consumption and towards a more ecologically sustainable system. For the IMF, however, it is being used to push through more privatizations and austerity measures that invariably enrich the wealthy and weaken the poor and the powerless. It appears that, if the organization has its way, that it will be the poor who pay for the pandemic, while the rich prosper.
Feature photo | A demonstrator holds a banner against International Monetary Fund during a protest in Quito, Ecuador, May 18, 2020. Photo | Dolores Ochoa. Editing by MintPress News
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-10-13--How a Black Evangelical Denomination was Duped into “Blessing” Israel

The Church of God in Christ , or COGIC , is certainly not the first evangelical group to embrace the state of Israel .
But unlike most evangelical denominations , this one is mostly African American .
Its leadership includes the newly-minted and first-ever “ Bishop of Israel , ” Dr. Glenn R. Plummer , who now resides in Jerusalem – and he cherishes his new post .
The Plummers ’ move from their Detroit home is the culmination of a years-long targeted outreach by pro-Israel organizations to the African American Christian community , including a carefully curated public relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a victim of Palestinian violence and ignoring Palestinian existence completely .
Plummer defines his mission in terms of creating mostly commercial ties between African Americans and Jewish Israelis .
The two million Muslim and Christian Palestinians who live in Israel do not figure into his plans .
As he explains it : Plummer ’ s wife , who now claims the title “ the first lady of Israel , ” adds that the couple hopes to correct what she calls “ misunderstandings ” about Israel among Black Americans .
“ God blesses those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We want to make sure that Black Americans understand that the way to bless Israel is to speak well of Israel.
” Last month , the foundation Israel Allies named Plummer one of Israel ’ s “ Top 50 Christian Allies.
” Black Americans as a group are primarily Protestant – a characteristic usually associated with robust support for Israel – but also predominantly Democrats , the less pro-Israel party .
Most African American Christians lean left when it comes to the Jewish State .
Less than half — 48 percent — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Palestinians .
Although traditional religious teaching in many denominations calls on believers to support Israel , the majority of Black Christians sympathize equally with both Israeli and Palestinian struggles ( seventy percent ) ; over forty percent also believe that Israel denies Palestinians their basic human rights and that Israeli laws discriminate against Palestinians ( about the same percentage say they don ’ t know ) .
The modern African American connection to Israel can be traced back to the late American Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein , who in 1983 created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christians and Jews ( IFCJ ) .
Eckstein has since grown it into a $ 100 million-a-year organization .
IFCJ claims to support the Israeli military , provide aid to needy Jewish families , and promote Jewish emigration to Israel .
In 2014 , after over thirty years of cultivating support for the Jewish state among White American Christians , Eckstein began pursuing the African American Christian community .
He found the work tricky .
Black Christians , after all , tend to be Democrats and not supportive of the more hawkish pro-Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Eckstein had a secret weapon .
He targeted COGIC because of one particular doctrine : a belief that the creation of the State of Israel was ordained by God .
By 2015 a group of COGIC ministers , including the Plummers , visited Israel with Eckstein , taking in a hand-picked list of Jewish and Christian holy sites , a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv , and the Holocaust memorial .
In 2017 , with financial assistance from Hobby Lobby , another COGIC group visited Israel .
Notably , the week-long trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Palestinian territory , or any meetings with Palestinians .
A senior COGIC delegate explained that the purpose of the visit was to focus on the strength of Israel , adding , “ that ’ s not to say the Palestinian issue is not deserving of consideration as well .
Anything that helps humanity.
” The itinerary for African American church leaders included a stop in southern Tel Aviv , where most of Israel ’ s 45,000 African asylum-seekers live .
The group discussed the challenges these immigrants faced , including racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative was incomplete .
Israel has been openly trying for over ten years to stop the flow of refugees from Africa and to deport those already present .
Human Rights Watch reported that it “ recognized fewer than one percent of asylum applicants , ” choosing instead to “ bully ” them or ignore their applications .
The government even funded a wall on its border with Egypt and then initiated a policy of detention and expulsion , housing African refugees in large camps in the middle of the southern desert .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader summed up his takeaway from the trip thusly , “ [ D ] espite the achievement of some [ Africans in Israel ] , educational and economic inequity remain.
” Just before the COGIC trip to Israel , the U.S. saw a surge of Black support for the Palestinian cause – something Plummer has yet to acknowledge .
The summer of 2014 highlighted the parallel issues faced by African Americans and their Palestinian brethren .
As Blacks in America protested the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Israel waged a brutal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over 2,200 Palestinians were killed , 65 percent of them civilians .
More than 500 Palestinian children lost their lives in the Israeli campaign along with 73 Israelis , just eight percent of whom were civilians .
The 2015 Black Solidarity Statement with Palestine , signed by over 1,000 activists and 39 organizations , was born of this shared adversity and read , in part : The past year has been one of high-profile growth for Black-Palestinian solidarity .
Out of the terror directed against us—from numerous attacks on Black life to Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chokehold on the West Bank—strengthened resilience and joint-struggle have emerged between our movements .
Bishop Plummer and his wife made their new home in an upscale Israeli suburb of Jerusalem called Mevaseret Zion , a neighborhood whose backstory is noteworthy if one is willing to search it out .
Before 1948 , Mevaseret Zion was the site of the mostly-Arab Palestinian village of Qalunya , population : 1,056 .
The violent Jewish paramilitary force , the Haganah , destroyed the village as recounted by historian Walid Khalidi , author of “ All That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depopulated by Israel in 1948.
” The village was one of over five hundred depopulated and demolished in the wake of Israel ’ s creation .
Ottoman records indicate that it had been in existence since at least 1596 .
Its Palestinian farmers grew ( and paid taxes on ) wheat , barley , and vegetables , and tended citrus and olive trees .
Kerem Navot , a non-profit Israeli group that monitors land policy , recently pointed out that Mevaseret Zion lies partly inside Palestine .
But instead of resolving the trespassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further construction in the town , requiring the appropriation of yet more Palestinian land .
On June 4 , Bishop Plummer participated in a video conference vigil hosted by Yehudah Glick on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem .
Its objective : to pray for racial reconciliation in the United States following the death of George Floyd .
Plummer and his colleagues may not have been aware that following a 1967 agreement , only Muslims are supposed to be allowed to perform religious rituals on the Temple Mount , the site of the Al-Aqsa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most revered sites .
In recent years , Israeli radicals have stormed the mosque compound more and more frequently , often under the protection of Israeli police .
Despite having exclusive access to the Wailing Wall , a nearby Jewish holy site , they storm the compound under the auspices of a desire to pray in the mosque compound , a move seen by many Muslims as intentionally provocative .
Yehudah Glick ’ s prayer vigil was both illegal and provocative .
Glick also ignored the fact that both the religious establishment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinians in their midst to the point that many experts have described the government ’ s actions as apartheid .
And even as Glick urged his listeners to chant “ no more violence , ” his country observed the 53rd anniversary of its brutal occupation of Palestine .
Israel ’ s widely publicized narrative of innocence overshadows the reality of its intolerance , though both Israeli and Palestinian historians have chronicled it thoroughly .
The state of Israel displaced 750,000 Palestinians in 1948 simply because they were not Jewish .
It defied international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return ; appropriated 78 percent of their land in 1948 , and occupied the rest in 1967 , with no end in sight .
Numerous human rights organizations have been tallying and reporting on Israel ’ s decades of ongoing human rights abuses .
In Gaza alone 7,400 Palestinians have been killed through direct Israeli violence ( thousands more due to lack of food and medicine caused by the now fourteen-year-old blockade ) ; during the same time period , about 250 Israelis were been killed by Palestinians in Gaza .
Glick mourned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the nationwide unrest in its aftermath .
He left unspoken the name of Eyad al Hallak , a disabled Palestinian man executed by Israeli police on May 30 in Jerusalem – not far from where Glick ’ s own vigil was held .
Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew .
She speaks regularly about the injustice and demonization Palestinians face at the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States , especially to Christian audiences .
Kathryn has lived in the Middle East for ten years and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PalestineHome.org .

The Church of God in Christ, or COGIC, is certainly not the first evangelical group to embrace the state of Israel. But unlike most evangelical denominations, this one is mostly African American. Its leadership includes the newly-minted and first-ever “Bishop of Israel,” Dr. Glenn R. Plummer, who now resides in Jerusalem – and he cherishes his new post.
The Plummers’ move from their Detroit home is the culmination of a years-long targeted outreach by pro-Israel organizations to the African American Christian community, including a carefully curated public relations campaign that oscillates between portraying Israel as a victim of Palestinian violence and ignoring Palestinian existence completely.
The mission: American dollars for Israel
Plummer defines his mission in terms of creating mostly commercial ties between African Americans and Jewish Israelis. The two million Muslim and Christian Palestinians who live in Israel do not figure into his plans. As he explains it:
It’s a perfect time to show our support for the Jewish people, and for Israel in particular, and we intend to do that in very tangible ways. There are more than 40 million Black Americans, they spend more than $1.3 trillion a year, so we’re a measurable market, a measurable group of people, easily identified, and we think we can also contribute to the advancement of Israel.”
Plummer’s wife, who now claims the title “the first lady of Israel,” adds that the couple hopes to correct what she calls “misunderstandings” about Israel among Black Americans. “God blesses those who bless Israel, she said, “We want to make sure that Black Americans understand that the way to bless Israel is to speak well of Israel.”
Last month, the foundation Israel Allies named Plummer one of Israel’s “Top 50 Christian Allies.”
African American views on Israel
Black Americans as a group are primarily Protestant – a characteristic usually associated with robust support for Israel – but also predominantly Democrats, the less pro-Israel party.
Most African American Christians lean left when it comes to the Jewish State. Less than half — 48 percent — endorse Israel, and 27 percent sympathize with the Palestinians.
Although traditional religious teaching in many denominations calls on believers to support Israel, the majority of Black Christians sympathize equally with both Israeli and Palestinian struggles (seventy percent); over forty percent also believe that Israel denies Palestinians their basic human rights and that Israeli laws discriminate against Palestinians (about the same percentage say they don’t know).
The link: pro-Israel charity
The modern African American connection to Israel can be traced back to the late American Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who in 1983 created a collaborative charity called the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ). Eckstein has since grown it into a $100 million-a-year organization. IFCJ claims to support the Israeli military, provide aid to needy Jewish families, and promote Jewish emigration to Israel.
In 2014, after over thirty years of cultivating support for the Jewish state among White American Christians, Eckstein began pursuing the African American Christian community. He found the work tricky. Black Christians, after all, tend to be Democrats and not supportive of the more hawkish pro-Israel policies for which he sought backing. But Eckstein had a secret weapon.
He targeted COGIC because of one particular doctrine: a belief that the creation of the State of Israel was ordained by God.
Selective pilgrimage
By 2015 a group of COGIC ministers, including the Plummers, visited Israel with Eckstein, taking in a hand-picked list of Jewish and Christian holy sites, a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv, and the Holocaust memorial.
In 2017, with financial assistance from Hobby Lobby, another COGIC group visited Israel. Notably, the week-long trip did not include Bethlehem, which is in Palestinian territory, or any meetings with Palestinians. A senior COGIC delegate explained that the purpose of the visit was to focus on the strength of Israel, adding, “that’s not to say the Palestinian issue is not deserving of consideration as well. Anything that helps humanity.”
The itinerary for African American church leaders included a stop in southern Tel Aviv, where most of Israel’s 45,000 African asylum-seekers live. The group discussed the challenges these immigrants faced, including racism and economic inequity. But again, the narrative was incomplete.
Israel has been openly trying for over ten years to stop the flow of refugees from Africa and to deport those already present. Human Rights Watch reported that it “recognized fewer than one percent of asylum applicants,” choosing instead to “bully” them or ignore their applications. The government even funded a wall on its border with Egypt and then initiated a policy of detention and expulsion, housing African refugees in large camps in the middle of the southern desert.
Despite the carefully curated itinerary, one church leader summed up his takeaway from the trip thusly, “[D]espite the achievement of some [Africans in Israel], educational and economic inequity remain.”
“From Ferguson to Palestine”
Just before the COGIC trip to Israel, the U.S. saw a surge of Black support for the Palestinian cause – something Plummer has yet to acknowledge.
The summer of 2014 highlighted the parallel issues faced by African Americans and their Palestinian brethren. As Blacks in America protested the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Israel waged a brutal war against the people of Gaza. Over 2,200 Palestinians were killed, 65 percent of them civilians. More than 500 Palestinian children lost their lives in the Israeli campaign along with 73 Israelis, just eight percent of whom were civilians.
The 2015 Black Solidarity Statement with Palestine, signed by over 1,000 activists and 39 organizations, was born of this shared adversity and read, in part:
The past year has been one of high-profile growth for Black-Palestinian solidarity. Out of the terror directed against us—from numerous attacks on Black life to Israel’s brutal war on Gaza and chokehold on the West Bank—strengthened resilience and joint-struggle have emerged between our movements.
Neighborhood watch
Bishop Plummer and his wife made their new home in an upscale Israeli suburb of Jerusalem called Mevaseret Zion, a neighborhood whose backstory is noteworthy if one is willing to search it out.
Before 1948, Mevaseret Zion was the site of the mostly-Arab Palestinian village of Qalunya, population: 1,056. The violent Jewish paramilitary force, the Haganah, destroyed the village as recounted by historian Walid Khalidi, author of “All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948.” The village was one of over five hundred depopulated and demolished in the wake of Israel’s creation.
Ottoman records indicate that it had been in existence since at least 1596. Its Palestinian farmers grew (and paid taxes on) wheat, barley, and vegetables, and tended citrus and olive trees.
Kerem Navot, a non-profit Israeli group that monitors land policy, recently pointed out that Mevaseret Zion lies partly inside Palestine. But instead of resolving the trespassing issue, Israel recently approved plans for further construction in the town, requiring the appropriation of yet more Palestinian land.
Zooming toward racism
On June 4, Bishop Plummer participated in a video conference vigil hosted by Yehudah Glick on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Its objective: to pray for racial reconciliation in the United States following the death of George Floyd.
Plummer and his colleagues may not have been aware that following a 1967 agreement, only Muslims are supposed to be allowed to perform religious rituals on the Temple Mount, the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and one of Islam’s most revered sites.
In recent years, Israeli radicals have stormed the mosque compound more and more frequently, often under the protection of Israeli police. Despite having exclusive access to the Wailing Wall, a nearby Jewish holy site, they storm the compound under the auspices of a desire to pray in the mosque compound, a move seen by many Muslims as intentionally provocative. Yehudah Glick’s prayer vigil was both illegal and provocative.
Glick also ignored the fact that both the religious establishment and the Israeli government openly discriminate against the Palestinians in their midst to the point that many experts have described the government’s actions as apartheid. And even as Glick urged his listeners to chant “no more violence,” his country observed the 53rd anniversary of its brutal occupation of Palestine.
Israel’s widely publicized narrative of innocence overshadows the reality of its intolerance, though both Israeli and Palestinian historians have chronicled it thoroughly.
The state of Israel displaced 750,000 Palestinians in 1948 simply because they were not Jewish. It defied international law by refusing to allow them to return; appropriated 78 percent of their land in 1948, and occupied the rest in 1967, with no end in sight.
Numerous human rights organizations have been tallying and reporting on Israel’s decades of ongoing human rights abuses.
In Gaza alone 7,400 Palestinians have been killed through direct Israeli violence (thousands more due to lack of food and medicine caused by the now fourteen-year-old blockade); during the same time period, about 250 Israelis were been killed by Palestinians in Gaza.
Glick mourned the May 25 death of George Floyd and the nationwide unrest in its aftermath. He left unspoken the name of Eyad al Hallak, a disabled Palestinian man executed by Israeli police on May 30 in Jerusalem – not far from where Glick’s own vigil was held.
Feature photo | Antonio Cabrera
Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew. She speaks regularly about the injustice and demonization Palestinians face at the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States, especially to Christian audiences. Kathryn has lived in the Middle East for ten years and has traveled extensively. She blogs at PalestineHome.org.


mintpressnews--2020-10-14--Philippines to Roll Out National ID as Surveillance State Spreads Across the World

The Philippine Statistics Authority ( PSA ) , the central organism tasked with collecting , compiling , and analyzing data in the southeast Asian nation , has begun a large-scale , house-to-house canvassing operation to preregister 9 million heads of households and other adults in the country ’ s lowest income brackets .
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the flagship program will initially be carried out in regions where COVID cases are low , and only on a voluntary basis .
Despite reportedly widespread support for the new system ( upwards of 70 percent ) , concerns over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was mandated by the Philippine Identification System Act and signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 .
The legislation , originally drafted by a former head of the Philippine National Police , will include information already held by the PSA as well as the eventual inclusion of biometric data , such as iris scans and full fingerprint sets .
Filipino researcher Josh Malonzo , from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines , tweeted out an all-caps warning on Monday about how the national ID program will dovetail with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting in de facto mass surveillance .
Much of the justification for the national ID system revolves around efforts to consolidate the country ’ s 46 existing government-issued IDs and facilitating payments across commercial sectors .
The central bank of the Philippines is among the major institutions pushing for the new system , which it hopes will increase the number of Filipinos with bank accounts from the current 29 percent to 70 percent by 2023 .
Other powerful supporters of the nascent ID system are two of the nation ’ s biggest telecom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been trying to introduce e-payments into a country where the majority of the population still prefers to use cash for day-to-day transactions , mirroring similar initiatives by banking and transnational corporations in other developing nations .
The preregistration period will run from October 12 , 2020 , until December 30 and overlap slightly with the beginning of the full registration process , slated to begin in November .
The current chief of the Philippine National Police ( PNP ) , Gen. Camilo Cascolan , instructed his charges to coordinate with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , to carry out the pre-registration process , which will begin in the country ’ s rural areas and move on to the metropolitan regions next year .
The PSA aims to enroll 108 million Filipinos by the end of 2022 .
The momentum for a national ID system is not stopping at the borders of what the financial industry calls “ emerging markets ” , however .
In the United States , legislation for a new national ID is currently sitting in the U.S. Congress awaiting passage .
Introduced by U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , the Improving Digital Identity Act of 2020 , avails itself of many of the same justifications used in the Philippines to generate consensus for a national ID , such as the coronavirus crisis , which has “ exposed the lack of a comprehensive digital identity strategy , ” in the United States , according to the bill ’ s advocates .
Nevertheless , in a country where digital payments are already ubiquitous , the raison d ’ etre used in the Philippines – namely , the desire to bring millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – is not necessarily going to work as well in America , where the threat of cyberattacks and cybersecurity issues , in general , are instead cited as the top reason for the implementation of a national ID system , featuring many of the same biometric features Duterte ’ s compatriots will soon be compelled to provide to their government .
Foster ’ s bill quotes the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Treasury Department ( FinCEN ) , Kenneth A. Blanco , to make its case by blaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind much of the fraud and cybercrime affecting our nation today.
” Just a few weeks later , the infamous FinCEN leaks conveniently revealed the global extent of fraudulent activities engaged in by the world ’ s largest financial institutions , covered by this author .
The COVID-19 crisis and worldwide lockdowns have afforded governments across the planet the opportunity to implement measures of population control that were unimaginable only a few years ago and relegated to Hollywood ’ s most dystopian productions .
The commander of the Philippines ’ Joint Task Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lorenzo Eleazar , reflected this new reality when he revealed to the Manila Bulletin that the implementation of the national ID system has “ always been factored in during the meetings of the National Task Force on COVID-19 ” and other health agencies .
In the United States , such considerations revolve around the effects COVID-19-related issues are having on unemployment agencies , which have been reportedly targeted for fraud through cyberspace .
The same justifications for an unprecedented expansion of the surveillance state are being used in Canada , whose own national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures brought on by the pandemic to push through draconian tracking and personal data collection technologies .
Implementation in the United States will also be aided by the imposed obsolescence of previous forms of ID , such as the drivers ’ licenses currently held by 62 percent of Americans , but which the Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) , has announced will no longer be valid to travel by plane domestically or internationally by the end of 2021 .

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the central organism tasked with collecting, compiling, and analyzing data in the southeast Asian nation, has begun a large-scale, house-to-house canvassing operation to preregister 9 million heads of households and other adults in the country’s lowest income brackets.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the flagship program will initially be carried out in regions where COVID cases are low, and only on a voluntary basis. Despite reportedly widespread support for the new system (upwards of 70 percent), concerns over privacy have dogged the identification system since it was mandated by the Philippine Identification System Act and signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018.
The legislation, originally drafted by a former head of the Philippine National Police, will include information already held by the PSA as well as the eventual inclusion of biometric data, such as iris scans and full fingerprint sets. Filipino researcher Josh Malonzo, from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, tweeted out an all-caps warning on Monday about how the national ID program will dovetail with the highly controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, resulting in de facto mass surveillance.
Much of the justification for the national ID system revolves around efforts to consolidate the country’s 46 existing government-issued IDs and facilitating payments across commercial sectors. The central bank of the Philippines is among the major institutions pushing for the new system, which it hopes will increase the number of Filipinos with bank accounts from the current 29 percent to 70 percent by 2023.
Other powerful supporters of the nascent ID system are two of the nation’s biggest telecom companies, PLDT and Globe Telecom, who have been trying to introduce e-payments into a country where the majority of the population still prefers to use cash for day-to-day transactions, mirroring similar initiatives by banking and transnational corporations in other developing nations.
The preregistration period will run from October 12, 2020, until December 30 and overlap slightly with the beginning of the full registration process, slated to begin in November. The current chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Gen. Camilo Cascolan, instructed his charges to coordinate with the PSA and Local Government Units (LGUs), to carry out the pre-registration process, which will begin in the country’s rural areas and move on to the metropolitan regions next year. The PSA aims to enroll 108 million Filipinos by the end of 2022.
Working excuses
The momentum for a national ID system is not stopping at the borders of what the financial industry calls “emerging markets”, however. In the United States, legislation for a new national ID is currently sitting in the U.S. Congress awaiting passage. Introduced by U.S. Congressman Bill Foster on September 11, 2020, the Improving Digital Identity Act of 2020, avails itself of many of the same justifications used in the Philippines to generate consensus for a national ID, such as the coronavirus crisis, which has “exposed the lack of a comprehensive digital identity strategy,” in the United States, according to the bill’s advocates.
Nevertheless, in a country where digital payments are already ubiquitous, the raison d’etre used in the Philippines – namely, the desire to bring millions of unbanked Filipinos into the banking system – is not necessarily going to work as well in America, where the threat of cyberattacks and cybersecurity issues, in general, are instead cited as the top reason for the implementation of a national ID system, featuring many of the same biometric features Duterte’s compatriots will soon be compelled to provide to their government.
Foster’s bill quotes the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Treasury Department (FinCEN), Kenneth A. Blanco, to make its case by blaming identity theft as the root cause “behind much of the fraud and cybercrime affecting our nation today.” Just a few weeks later, the infamous FinCEN leaks conveniently revealed the global extent of fraudulent activities engaged in by the world’s largest financial institutions, covered by this author.
Pincer movement
The COVID-19 crisis and worldwide lockdowns have afforded governments across the planet the opportunity to implement measures of population control that were unimaginable only a few years ago and relegated to Hollywood’s most dystopian productions.
The commander of the Philippines’ Joint Task Force COVID Shield, Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, reflected this new reality when he revealed to the Manila Bulletin that the implementation of the national ID system has “always been factored in during the meetings of the National Task Force on COVID-19” and other health agencies.
In the United States, such considerations revolve around the effects COVID-19-related issues are having on unemployment agencies, which have been reportedly targeted for fraud through cyberspace. The same justifications for an unprecedented expansion of the surveillance state are being used in Canada, whose own national ID system is also relying on emergency measures brought on by the pandemic to push through draconian tracking and personal data collection technologies.
Implementation in the United States will also be aided by the imposed obsolescence of previous forms of ID, such as the drivers’ licenses currently held by 62 percent of Americans, but which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has announced will no longer be valid to travel by plane domestically or internationally by the end of 2021.
Feature image | MintPress News
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-10-14--55 Million People Face Famine as COVID-Ravaged Economies Fail To Meet Funding Goals

More than 55 million people in seven countries are in desperate need of COVID-19-related famine relief .
That is according to a new report from international charity Oxfam , entitled “ Later will be too late.
” The report details how 55.5 million people in seven countries — Yemen , Afghanistan , Nigeria , Burkina Faso , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and Somalia — are living in severe-to-extreme levels of food insecurity or even famine conditions , thanks largely to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic .
In March , the United Nations called for $ 10.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worldwide humanitarian impact the pandemic was expected to bring .
Unfortunately , it has received barely a quarter of what it has asked for from donors .
Every sector , including gender-based violence ( 58 percent funded ) , protection ( 27 percent ) , health ( 27 percent ) , and water , sanitation and hygiene ( 17 percent ) are chronically under-funded .
But the worst underwritten parts of its coronavirus response plan are food security ( 11 percent ) and nutrition ( 3 percent ) .
Indeed , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN has received nothing at all to deal with the crisis .
Oxfam called the international community ’ s response “ dangerously inadequate.
” “ The Committee for World Food Security must raise the alarm at the UN that famine is imminent on its watch and not enough is yet being done to stop it .
We need a fairer and more sustainable food system that supports small scale producers .
Years of neglect mean that millions upon millions of people remain unnecessarily vulnerable to shocks like COVID , climate change and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International interim Executive Director , Chema Vera .
Official estimates suggest that around 1.1 million people have died from COVID-19 globally since its emergence in China late last year .
While the United States has seen the most cases and deaths overall , it is now countries in the global south that are the most intense hotbeds of the virus , with Brazil , Mexico , and India right behind the U.S .
There are currently over 800,000 active cases in India alone .
As nations all over the world have scrambled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , businesses have been disrupted , supply lines cut and economies stunted .
As a result of the mass unemployment , the number of food insecure people has greatly increased in many countries .
In northern Nigeria , for instance , that number has increased to 8.7 million from 4.7 million three years ago .
No one in Burkina Faso in 2017 fell into the food insecure category , however , that number has jumped to 3.3 million today , according to Oxfam .
Meanwhile , the Democratic Republic of the Congo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 7.7 million in 2017 to 21.8 million today .
Yemen was already considered the “ world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis ” by the United Nations before the COVID-19 pandemic , thanks largely to the Saudi-led onslaught against the country .
Over 20 million people are dependent on foreign food aid to survive .
In April , the World Food Program warned that a “ famine of biblical proportions ” could be on the way in the country .
And yet , following U.S. government pressure , aid to Yemen has sputtered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , nothing like what is needed to change the course of the ongoing humanitarian crisis .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo successfully pressured the international community to reduce its aid to the beleaguered nation in a bid to starve the country ’ s Houthi rebels of aid .
As a result , Yemen may be reaching a humanitarian tipping point in the near future .
Partly because of the inaction , Oxfam has suggested that more people could die from COVID-19-linked hunger than of the virus itself , warning that up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action is not taken .
But even as the UN desperately begs for just $ 10 billion to avert a massive famine , food and beverage companies have paid out over $ 18 billion in dividends to shareholders between January and July , suggesting that a lack of funds is not the principal problem .
People in the United States , too , have had problems with food insecurity , although nothing like the severity of those in sub Saharan Africa or in Yemen .
56 million Americans were forced to use a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of millions were left unemployed almost overnight .
While Americans do not have to worry about a potential famine in their country , those in the African and Asian countries highlighted by the report are not as lucky .
Feature photo | Iraqi children sit on bags of rice from the World Food Program ( WFP ) at a school that serves as a shelter for internally displaced people in Baghdad ’ s eastern district of Jamila , Iraq .
Karim Kadim | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

More than 55 million people in seven countries are in desperate need of COVID-19-related famine relief. That is according to a new report from international charity Oxfam, entitled “Later will be too late.” The report details how 55.5 million people in seven countries — Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia — are living in severe-to-extreme levels of food insecurity or even famine conditions, thanks largely to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, the United Nations called for $10.3 billion in emergency funding to deal with the worldwide humanitarian impact the pandemic was expected to bring. Unfortunately, it has received barely a quarter of what it has asked for from donors. Every sector, including gender-based violence (58 percent funded), protection (27 percent), health (27 percent), and water, sanitation and hygiene (17 percent) are chronically under-funded. But the worst underwritten parts of its coronavirus response plan are food security (11 percent) and nutrition (3 percent). Indeed, in 5 of the 7 countries noted, the UN has received nothing at all to deal with the crisis. Oxfam called the international community’s response “dangerously inadequate.”
“The Committee for World Food Security must raise the alarm at the UN that famine is imminent on its watch and not enough is yet being done to stop it. We need a fairer and more sustainable food system that supports small scale producers. Years of neglect mean that millions upon millions of people remain unnecessarily vulnerable to shocks like COVID, climate change and conflict,” said Oxfam’s International interim Executive Director, Chema Vera.
Official estimates suggest that around 1.1 million people have died from COVID-19 globally since its emergence in China late last year. While the United States has seen the most cases and deaths overall, it is now countries in the global south that are the most intense hotbeds of the virus, with Brazil, Mexico, and India right behind the U.S. There are currently over 800,000 active cases in India alone.
As nations all over the world have scrambled to take emergency action in the wake of COVID-19, businesses have been disrupted, supply lines cut and economies stunted. As a result of the mass unemployment, the number of food insecure people has greatly increased in many countries. In northern Nigeria, for instance, that number has increased to 8.7 million from 4.7 million three years ago. No one in Burkina Faso in 2017 fell into the food insecure category, however, that number has jumped to 3.3 million today, according to Oxfam. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s food insecure population has rocketed from 7.7 million in 2017 to 21.8 million today.
Yemen was already considered the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” by the United Nations before the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks largely to the Saudi-led onslaught against the country. Over 20 million people are dependent on foreign food aid to survive. In April, the World Food Program warned that a “famine of biblical proportions” could be on the way in the country. And yet, following U.S. government pressure, aid to Yemen has sputtered to just $0.25 per person per day, nothing like what is needed to change the course of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo successfully pressured the international community to reduce its aid to the beleaguered nation in a bid to starve the country’s Houthi rebels of aid. As a result, Yemen may be reaching a humanitarian tipping point in the near future.
Partly because of the inaction, Oxfam has suggested that more people could die from COVID-19-linked hunger than of the virus itself, warning that up to 12,000 people could perish daily if more action is not taken. But even as the UN desperately begs for just $10 billion to avert a massive famine, food and beverage companies have paid out over $18 billion in dividends to shareholders between January and July, suggesting that a lack of funds is not the principal problem.
People in the United States, too, have had problems with food insecurity, although nothing like the severity of those in sub Saharan Africa or in Yemen. 56 million Americans were forced to use a food bank during the crisis, as tens of millions were left unemployed almost overnight. While Americans do not have to worry about a potential famine in their country, those in the African and Asian countries highlighted by the report are not as lucky.
Feature photo | Iraqi children sit on bags of rice from the World Food Program (WFP) at a school that serves as a shelter for internally displaced people in Baghdad’s eastern district of Jamila, Iraq. Karim Kadim | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-10-14--Western Anger as China, Russia Elected to UN Human Rights Council and Saudi Arabia Rejected

In a secret ballot at the United Nations yesterday , Saudi Arabia was rejected for a position on the body ’ s 47-country Human Rights Council ( HRC ) .
The only country that did not receive the required number of votes from member states , the failure has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom ’ s abysmal human rights record and its decreasing international support .
15 positions were filled yesterday , although most of them were pre-selected .
Only the Asia-Pacific region faced an open vote from UN member states .
Pakistan received 169 “ yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Uzbekistan 164 , Nepal 150 , and China 139 .
Saudi Arabia , on the other hand , received just 90 .
Saudi Arabia ’ s allies in the West had actually been campaigning to halt the election of states that draw Washington ’ s ire , including China , Russia , and Cuba , trying to organize opposition against those nations , but were ultimately unsuccessful .
China received 41 fewer votes than it did in 2016 , amid increased global concern over the alleged treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 percent threshold for admission .
U.N. Watch , a western NGO that has a history of attacking Washington ’ s enemies and has condemned the UN for its supposed antisemitic bias over its criticism of Israeli human rights abuses , claimed that “ electing these dictatorships as UN judges on human rights is like making a gang of arsonists into the fire brigade.
” The reaction from the U.S. government , which left the HRC in 2018 over its perceived bias against Israel , was similarly angry .
Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election of countries like China , Russia , Cuba ( and Venezuela in 2019 ) has shown that the institution is now broken beyond repair .
“ The United States ’ commitment to human rights consists of far more than just words , ” Pompeo said , as he boasted of employing sanctions against all those nations .
“ Our commitments are spelled out clearly in the UN ’ s Declaration , and in our record of action .
The United States is a force for good in the world , and always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet earlier this year Pompeo himself said that the U.S. should abandon most of the rights enshrined in the UN Declaration and focus only on property rights and religious freedoms .
Much of the media today has been in a furor that the “ world ’ s worst abusers ” ( The Times ) like China , Russia , and Cuba are set to join or rejoin the council .
The Guardian suggested that the institution ’ s credibility is at stake .
Yet in the talk of human rights violators joining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with questionable records was never discussed .
Bolivia , whose murderous far-right government came to power in a U.S.-backed military coup in November , was also elected , but with no fanfare or condemnation .
As was Cameroon , whose dictatorial head of state Paul Biya has been in charge of the country since Gerald Ford was president of the United States .
Other states with contentious records included were Narendra Modi ’ s India , Rodrigo Duterte ’ s Philippines , and the Qatari dictatorship .
Saudi Arabia was elected twice to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its new failure to secure more than 90 votes is a sign of increasing discontent with its policies in Yemen , declared the world ’ s worst humanitarian disaster by the United Nations , where 24 million people ( 80 percent of the country ) need some form of humanitarian assistance .
Yet under pressure from the U.S. government , aid has been cut to just 25 cents per person , per day .
The kingdom has played a key role in stymying any international action to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block UN inquiries into its own abuses in Yemen .
Internally , the country is often described as the most repressive regime on the planet , with millions of people suffering under slave-like conditions , according to Human Rights Watch .
While on the council , it attempted to block a resolution that condemned the use of torture by law enforcement and reaffirms the human rights of LGBT people .
Inside Saudi Arabia , homosexuality is still punishable with the death penalty .
Ultimately , while yesterday ’ s election is the sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results are unlikely to seriously change the direction of the organization , with the United Nations constantly blocked from taking action unless all of the world ’ s superpowers allow it .
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , right , listens to Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks during their meeting at the State Department , Oct. 14 , 2020 , in Washington .
Manuel Balce Ceneta | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

In a secret ballot at the United Nations yesterday, Saudi Arabia was rejected for a position on the body’s 47-country Human Rights Council (HRC). The only country that did not receive the required number of votes from member states, the failure has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom’s abysmal human rights record and its decreasing international support.
15 positions were filled yesterday, although most of them were pre-selected. Only the Asia-Pacific region faced an open vote from UN member states. Pakistan received 169 “yes” votes out of a possible 193, Uzbekistan 164, Nepal 150, and China 139. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, received just 90.
Saudi Arabia’s allies in the West had actually been campaigning to halt the election of states that draw Washington’s ire, including China, Russia, and Cuba, trying to organize opposition against those nations, but were ultimately unsuccessful. China received 41 fewer votes than it did in 2016, amid increased global concern over the alleged treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang Province, but ultimately comfortably surpassed the 50 percent threshold for admission.
U.N. Watch, a western NGO that has a history of attacking Washington’s enemies and has condemned the UN for its supposed antisemitic bias over its criticism of Israeli human rights abuses, claimed that “electing these dictatorships as UN judges on human rights is like making a gang of arsonists into the fire brigade.”
The reaction from the U.S. government, which left the HRC in 2018 over its perceived bias against Israel, was similarly angry. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement claiming that the election of countries like China, Russia, Cuba (and Venezuela in 2019) has shown that the institution is now broken beyond repair.
“The United States’ commitment to human rights consists of far more than just words,” Pompeo said, as he boasted of employing sanctions against all those nations. “Our commitments are spelled out clearly in the UN’s Declaration, and in our record of action. The United States is a force for good in the world, and always will be,” he added. Yet earlier this year Pompeo himself said that the U.S. should abandon most of the rights enshrined in the UN Declaration and focus only on property rights and religious freedoms.
The spin war
Much of the media today has been in a furor that the “world’s worst abusers” (The Times) like China, Russia, and Cuba are set to join or rejoin the council. The Guardian suggested that the institution’s credibility is at stake. Yet in the talk of human rights violators joining the council, the election of other states with questionable records was never discussed. Bolivia, whose murderous far-right government came to power in a U.S.-backed military coup in November, was also elected, but with no fanfare or condemnation. As was Cameroon, whose dictatorial head of state Paul Biya has been in charge of the country since Gerald Ford was president of the United States. Other states with contentious records included were Narendra Modi’s India, Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines, and the Qatari dictatorship.
Saudi Arabia was elected twice to the HRC between 2014-2016 and 2017-2019. Its new failure to secure more than 90 votes is a sign of increasing discontent with its policies in Yemen, declared the world’s worst humanitarian disaster by the United Nations, where 24 million people (80 percent of the country) need some form of humanitarian assistance. Yet under pressure from the U.S. government, aid has been cut to just 25 cents per person, per day. The kingdom has played a key role in stymying any international action to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe, using its position at the HRC to block UN inquiries into its own abuses in Yemen.
Internally, the country is often described as the most repressive regime on the planet, with millions of people suffering under slave-like conditions, according to Human Rights Watch. While on the council, it attempted to block a resolution that condemned the use of torture by law enforcement and reaffirms the human rights of LGBT people. Inside Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is still punishable with the death penalty.
Ultimately, while yesterday’s election is the sign of a slightly more multipolar world, the results are unlikely to seriously change the direction of the organization, with the United Nations constantly blocked from taking action unless all of the world’s superpowers allow it.
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, listens to Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks during their meeting at the State Department, Oct. 14, 2020, in Washington. Manuel Balce Ceneta | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.