mintpressnews--2020-09-14--Bezos Doubles Wealth as Amazon Essential Product Prices Rise 1000% Amid Pandemic

A new report from advocacy group Public Citizen details how retail giant Amazon “ misled the public , law enforcement , and policymakers about price increases during the pandemic , ” raising their prices on essential products “ to levels that would be considered violations of price gouging laws in many states.
” The prices of many products in high demand during the pandemic jumped by over 1,000 percent when compared to this time last year .
As accusations of price gouging began , Amazon blamed “ bad actors , ” declaring in an official statement that , “ there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon , ” committing itself to “ working vigorously ” to ensure fair pricing , and “ collaborating with federal , state , and local law enforcement agencies ” to “ hold price gougers accountable ” and to protect the interests of their customers .
Yet Public Citizen ’ s report found that “ Amazon is engaged in price gouging on products it sells directly ” itself , through its Amazon Essentials line .
Disposable face masks and corn starch were the most inflated prices , jumping elevenfold from earlier in the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon Essential products tracked , including the percentage the items increased in cost .
Similar price rises were tracked among third party sellers on the platform as well .
While there is no federal law protecting the public from the practice , price gouging is illegal in 35 states , with some states deeming that increasing prices by just 10 percent constitutes breaking the law .
Thanks in no small part to increased profits from sales , Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has seen his wealth almost double during the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 206 billion today , according to the Institute for Policy Studies , who calculated that America ’ s billionaire class of 467 plutocrats have seen their wealth spike by nearly a trillion dollars since lockdown began on March 18 .
Much of this has been down to an enormous tax break for the ultra-wealthy that the Trump administration snuck into its first coronavirus relief bill .
Bezos , who retook the title of the world ’ s richest individual from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates late last year , has said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine spending his wealth by plowing it into space travel .
Yet even as he becomes the world ’ s first individual to reach a net worth of $ 200 billion , Bezos ’ employees are struggling just to eat or avoid homelessness .
According to the company ’ s own data , a great number of Amazon employees rely on SNAP ( food stamps ) just to eat .
That number is as high as one third of all Amazon workers in Arizona , with company employees nationwide far more likely than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead of giving his employees a pay rise , “ arch-philanthropist ” Bezos decided to start a charitable foundation for them , asking the public to donate money to help them pay for basic necessities .
And when staff at Bezos-owned Whole Foods Market asked for higher pay and better working conditions , the company instead gave them a free t-shirt that called them “ hardcore ” “ heroes ” for working through the pandemic .
Price gouging is widely considered a highly immoral practice , akin to profiting off the desperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the only people willing to publicly defend it being economics professors and highly-paid columnists in corporate media .
Professor Lili Carneglia of Valencia College , Florida , for instance , writing in libertarian think tank FEE , argued that neighborhood 7-Elevens charging $ 20 for a case of water after a hurricane is a good thing , claiming without them there would be shortages in supply ( although , she admits , she is unable to convince most of her students ) .
Likewise , the Boston Globe ’ s Jeff Jacoby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , but a solution to a problem , suggesting that it actually helps consumers .
Public Citizen did not agree .
“ During emergencies , people are scared , desperate , and in need .
Price gouging is an insidious exploitation of the most vulnerable .
There is no excuse for the most successful corporations preying on vulnerable consumers , ” it concluded .
Feature photo | Protesters carry a figure of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos depicted as a giant robot , at a protest during a march for immigrant and workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May Day in downtown Seattle .
Ted S. Warren | 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 .

A new report from advocacy group Public Citizen details how retail giant Amazon “misled the public, law enforcement, and policymakers about price increases during the pandemic,” raising their prices on essential products “to levels that would be considered violations of price gouging laws in many states.” The prices of many products in high demand during the pandemic jumped by over 1,000 percent when compared to this time last year.
As accusations of price gouging began, Amazon blamed “bad actors,” declaring in an official statement that, “there is no place for price gouging on Amazon,” committing itself to “working vigorously” to ensure fair pricing, and “collaborating with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies” to “hold price gougers accountable” and to protect the interests of their customers.
Price gouging has no place in Amazon's stores. Read about our efforts here to protect our customers. https://t.co/oDDcya4R6J — Brian Huseman (@b_huseman) March 23, 2020
Yet Public Citizen’s report found that “Amazon is engaged in price gouging on products it sells directly” itself, through its Amazon Essentials line. Disposable face masks and corn starch were the most inflated prices, jumping elevenfold from earlier in the year. Below is a list of ten Amazon Essential products tracked, including the percentage the items increased in cost. Similar price rises were tracked among third party sellers on the platform as well.
Disposable face masks — 1,000%
Hand sanitizer — 48%
Disinfectant spray — 87%
Antibacterial soap — 470%
Disposable nitrile gloves — 336%
Toilet paper — 528%
Paper towels — 303%
Flour — 425%
Sugar — 520%
Corn starch — 1,010%
While there is no federal law protecting the public from the practice, price gouging is illegal in 35 states, with some states deeming that increasing prices by just 10 percent constitutes breaking the law.
Thanks in no small part to increased profits from sales, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has seen his wealth almost double during the pandemic, from $113 billion in March to $206 billion today, according to the Institute for Policy Studies, who calculated that America’s billionaire class of 467 plutocrats have seen their wealth spike by nearly a trillion dollars since lockdown began on March 18. Much of this has been down to an enormous tax break for the ultra-wealthy that the Trump administration snuck into its first coronavirus relief bill. Bezos, who retook the title of the world’s richest individual from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates late last year, has said that he is so rich that he can only imagine spending his wealth by plowing it into space travel.
Yet even as he becomes the world’s first individual to reach a net worth of $200 billion, Bezos’ employees are struggling just to eat or avoid homelessness. According to the company’s own data, a great number of Amazon employees rely on SNAP (food stamps) just to eat. That number is as high as one third of all Amazon workers in Arizona, with company employees nationwide far more likely than most to need to use food stamps. Instead of giving his employees a pay rise, “arch-philanthropist” Bezos decided to start a charitable foundation for them, asking the public to donate money to help them pay for basic necessities. And when staff at Bezos-owned Whole Foods Market asked for higher pay and better working conditions, the company instead gave them a free t-shirt that called them “hardcore” “heroes” for working through the pandemic.
Price gouging is widely considered a highly immoral practice, akin to profiting off the desperation and suffering of others, with some of the only people willing to publicly defend it being economics professors and highly-paid columnists in corporate media. Professor Lili Carneglia of Valencia College, Florida, for instance, writing in libertarian think tank FEE, argued that neighborhood 7-Elevens charging $20 for a case of water after a hurricane is a good thing, claiming without them there would be shortages in supply (although, she admits, she is unable to convince most of her students). Likewise, the Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby claims that price gouging is not a problem, but a solution to a problem, suggesting that it actually helps consumers.
Public Citizen did not agree. “During emergencies, people are scared, desperate, and in need. Price gouging is an insidious exploitation of the most vulnerable. There is no excuse for the most successful corporations preying on vulnerable consumers,” it concluded.
Feature photo | Protesters carry a figure of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos depicted as a giant robot, at a protest during a march for immigrant and workers rights, May 1, 2019, on May Day in downtown Seattle. Ted S. Warren | 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--2020-09-14--Democrats Campaigning to Keep Green Party off the Ballot in Key Swing States

The 2020 presidential election is already underway — or , at least , it should be .
Because of an ongoing legal battle , none of Pennsylvania ’ s 67 counties will be sending out mail-in ballots today like they were originally scheduled to .
Democrats are attempting to remove Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins from the ballot because of an alleged procedural mistake his running mate Angela Walker made when informing election authorities about a change in her South Carolina address .
A similar battle is raging between the two parties in Wisconsin , another key battleground state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could , in effect , disbar an entire political party from running might be news to many Americans .
It is also a charge the Green Party strenuously denies .
“ I filed my address change properly to the Wisconsin Elections Commission as they instructed me to when our campaign informed them of my address change , ” Walker said in a press release this morning , The Democrat chairing the hearing concerning Democratic objections to my filing prevented that documentation from being presented .
They had that information in hand .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month at the hearing .
Instead , they are playing politics with Wisconsin voters .
They could end this now by withdrawing their phony objections .
The Democratic commissioners are as guilty as the Republican justices in this hold-up of absentee ballots.
” “ The court should have made a decision by now .
We want a decision today to put us on the ballot .
We want the absentee ballot process to proceed without further delay , ” Hawkins added .
Why the Democrats might benefit from the removal of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a close election , third party votes could prove crucial in preventing one of the two major parties from getting over the line .
One Emerson poll found that 51 percent of Bernie Sanders primary voters were at least considering opting for a third party come November .
Hawkins and Walker have been pitching hard to disenchanted leftists , reminding voters that they embrace a Green New Deal , while Biden has rejected it .
Democrats have been clear in their opposition to Hawkins .
“ The ‘ Green Party ’ has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to elect Republican Presidents twice .
Don ’ t fall for it again , ” advised Obama advisor and MSNBC contributor Ben Rhodes .
Democratic strategist Tom Watson was even blunter , tweeting , “ A vote for the ‘ Green Party ’ is a vote for fascism.
” The attack on Hawkins comes amid an open letter signed by over 170 prominent environmental leaders condemning the Green Party and telling the nation to vote for Biden , claiming he is a “ progressive Democrat , ” who , in “ his 36-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice on nearly every issue.
” “ Twenty years ago , the Green Party snatched the White House from a climate change leader and handed it to George W. Bush , ” they questionably claim , not mentioning the Republican Party ’ s legal shenanigans .
“ Pious gestures [ like voting Green ] will produce catastrophic results , ” they conclude .
On the Green ticket , Ralph Nader won 2.9 million votes in the 2000 election , no doubt hindering Al Gore ’ s chances .
However , the Florida election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact glossed over in the letter .
In 2016 , the Green Party received 1.5 million votes nationwide , triple what they got in 2012 .
“ Whatever you think of the Green Party , throwing them off the ballot because they listed two addresses for the VP is complete bullshit and voter disenfranchisement , ” said Matt Bruenig of the People ’ s Policy Project think tank .
Republicans have also been involved in their own voter suppression tactics , closing around 1,700 polling stations across the South since 2013 , primarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some counties losing nearly 90 percent of their voting places ) .
President Trump , who recently said that if more people voted , Republicans would never again be elected , has attacked the postal ballot system as well , claiming it would produce a fraudulent result , instructing his followers to vote twice , once by mail and in person on Election Day .
Across the United States , some 671 mail sorting machines have been removed ahead of the election , leading many to accuse the Republicans of blatant election rigging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a third party in a two-horse race can be debated , voter shaming did not work for the Democrats in 2016 has historically not been a productive strategy .
With this latest attempt to bar the Green Party from even standing , the Democrats are choosing a high-risk strategy that could potentially backfire come Election Day .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 2020 presidential election is already underway — or, at least, it should be. Because of an ongoing legal battle, none of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties will be sending out mail-in ballots today like they were originally scheduled to. Democrats are attempting to remove Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins from the ballot because of an alleged procedural mistake his running mate Angela Walker made when informing election authorities about a change in her South Carolina address. A similar battle is raging between the two parties in Wisconsin, another key battleground state.
That such a minor procedural error could, in effect, disbar an entire political party from running might be news to many Americans. It is also a charge the Green Party strenuously denies. “I filed my address change properly to the Wisconsin Elections Commission as they instructed me to when our campaign informed them of my address change,” Walker said in a press release this morning,
The Democrat chairing the hearing concerning Democratic objections to my filing prevented that documentation from being presented. They had that information in hand. The Democratic commissioners could have resolved the problem last month at the hearing. Instead, they are playing politics with Wisconsin voters. They could end this now by withdrawing their phony objections. The Democratic commissioners are as guilty as the Republican justices in this hold-up of absentee ballots.”
“The court should have made a decision by now. We want a decision today to put us on the ballot. We want the absentee ballot process to proceed without further delay,” Hawkins added.
Why the Democrats might benefit from the removal of the Greens is clear. With many predicting a close election, third party votes could prove crucial in preventing one of the two major parties from getting over the line. One Emerson poll found that 51 percent of Bernie Sanders primary voters were at least considering opting for a third party come November. Hawkins and Walker have been pitching hard to disenchanted leftists, reminding voters that they embrace a Green New Deal, while Biden has rejected it.
Both President Trump and former Vice President Biden put forward energy plans that do not challenge fossil fuels. The only candidate with a serious climate plan is Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins. Demand a real #GreenNewDeal https://t.co/iEuF7WpB8v pic.twitter.com/t1LJVoVkAV — Howie Hawkins (@HowieHawkins) July 21, 2020
Democrats have been clear in their opposition to Hawkins. “The ‘Green Party’ has done incalculable damage to the environment by helping to elect Republican Presidents twice. Don’t fall for it again,” advised Obama advisor and MSNBC contributor Ben Rhodes. Democratic strategist Tom Watson was even blunter, tweeting, “A vote for the ‘Green Party’ is a vote for fascism.”
The attack on Hawkins comes amid an open letter signed by over 170 prominent environmental leaders condemning the Green Party and telling the nation to vote for Biden, claiming he is a “progressive Democrat,” who, in “his 36-year Senate career” was “an enlightened voice on nearly every issue.” “Twenty years ago, the Green Party snatched the White House from a climate change leader and handed it to George W. Bush,” they questionably claim, not mentioning the Republican Party’s legal shenanigans. “Pious gestures [like voting Green] will produce catastrophic results,” they conclude.
On the Green ticket, Ralph Nader won 2.9 million votes in the 2000 election, no doubt hindering Al Gore’s chances. However, the Florida election was blatantly stolen by Bush, a fact glossed over in the letter. In 2016, the Green Party received 1.5 million votes nationwide, triple what they got in 2012. “Whatever you think of the Green Party, throwing them off the ballot because they listed two addresses for the VP is complete bullshit and voter disenfranchisement,” said Matt Bruenig of the People’s Policy Project think tank.
Republicans have also been involved in their own voter suppression tactics, closing around 1,700 polling stations across the South since 2013, primarily in poorer and majority non-white neighborhoods (some counties losing nearly 90 percent of their voting places). President Trump, who recently said that if more people voted, Republicans would never again be elected, has attacked the postal ballot system as well, claiming it would produce a fraudulent result, instructing his followers to vote twice, once by mail and in person on Election Day. Across the United States, some 671 mail sorting machines have been removed ahead of the election, leading many to accuse the Republicans of blatant election rigging.
While the merits of voting for a third party in a two-horse race can be debated, voter shaming did not work for the Democrats in 2016 has historically not been a productive strategy. With this latest attempt to bar the Green Party from even standing, the Democrats are choosing a high-risk strategy that could potentially backfire come Election Day.
Feature photo | Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins reads a newspaper in a holding room before a television interview. Mike Groll | 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--2020-09-17--A DARPA-Funded Implantable Biochip to Detect COVID-19 Could Hit Markets by 2021

The most significant scientific discovery since gravity has been hiding in plain sight for nearly a decade and its destructive potential to humanity is so enormous that the biggest war machine on the planet immediately deployed its vast resources to possess and control it , financing its research and development through agencies like the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) and HHS ’ BARDA .
The revolutionary breakthrough came to a Canadian scientist named Derek Rossi in 2010 purely by accident .
The now-retired Harvard professor claimed in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a way to “ reprogram ” the molecules that carry the genetic instructions for cell development in the human body , not to mention all biological lifeforms .
These molecules are called ‘ messenger ribonucleic acid ’ or mRNA and the newfound ability to rewrite those instructions to produce any kind of cell within a biological organism has radically changed the course of Western medicine and science , even if no one has really noticed yet .
As Rossi , himself , puts it : “ The real important discovery here was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you got it into the cells , then you could get the mRNA to express any protein in the cells , and this was the big thing.
” It was so big that by 2014 , Rossi was able to retire after the company he co-founded with Flagship Pioneering private equity firm to exploit his innovation , – Moderna Inc. , attracted almost a half billion dollars in federal award monies to begin developing vaccines using the technology .
No longer affiliated with Moderna beyond his stock holdings , Rossi is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if he ’ s anything like the doting “ hockey dad ” he is portrayed to be , he must be horrified .
As early as 2006 , DARPA was already researching how to identify viral , upper respiratory pathogens through its Predicting Health and Disease ( PHD ) program , which led to the creation of the agency ’ s Biological Technologies Office ( BTO ) , as reported by Whitney Webb in a May article for The Last American Vagabond .
In 2014 , DARPA ’ s BTO launched its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) program , which researches implantable nanotechnologies , leading to the development of ‘ hydrogel ’ .
Hydrogel is a nanotechnology whose inventor early on boasted that “ If [ it ] pans out , with approval from FDA , then consumers could get the sensors implanted in their core to measure their levels of glucose , oxygen , and lactate.
” This contact lens-like material requires a special injector to be introduced under the skin where it can transmit light-based digital signals through a wireless network like 5G .
Once firmly implanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the mercy of any mRNA program delivered via this substrate , unleashing a nightmare of possibilities .
It is , perhaps , the first true step towards full-on transhumanism ; a “ philosophy ” that is in vogue with many powerful and influential people , such as Google ’ s Ray Kurzweil and Eric Schmidt and whose proponents see the fusion of technology and biology as an inevitable consequence of human progress .
The private company created to market this technology , that allows for biological processes to be controlled remotely and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our biological responses and , ultimately , our entire existence , is called Profusa Inc and its operations are funded with millions from NIH and DARPA .
In March , the company was quietly inserted into the crowded COVID-19 bazaar in March 2020 , when it announced an injectable biochip for the detection of viral respiratory diseases , including COVID-19 .
In July , a preliminary report funded by Fauci ’ s NIAID and the NIH on an mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was published in The New England Journal of Medicine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna for the study , “ induced anti–SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants , and no trial-limiting safety concerns were identified , ” and supported “ further development of this vaccine.
” A month earlier , the NIH had claimed a joint stake in Moderna ’ s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine , citing a contract signed in December , 2019 , stipulating that the “ mRNA coronavirus vaccine candidates [ are ] developed and jointly owned ” by both parties .
Moderna disputes the federal government ’ s position , stating that the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IP estate ” and is “ not aware of any IP that would prevent us from commercializing our product candidates , including mRNA-1273.
” The only obstacle is a delivery system , which though Moderna claims to be developing separately , is unlikely to get FDA approval before the federal government ’ s own DARPA-developed hydrogel technology , in tandem with Profusa ’ s DARPA-funded light sensor technology , which is expected to receive fast track authorization from the Food and Drug Administration by early 2021 and , more than likely , used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity to literally change our DNA .
In addition , the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) , is currently investigating Moderna ’ s patent filings , claiming it failed to disclose “ federal government support ” in its COVID vaccine candidate patent applications , as required by law .
The technicality could result in the federal government owning a 100 percent stake in mRNA-1273 .
Feature photo | Jowan Osterlund from Biohax Sweden holds a small microchip implant , similar to those implanted into workers at the Epicenter digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Brooks | AP

The most significant scientific discovery since gravity has been hiding in plain sight for nearly a decade and its destructive potential to humanity is so enormous that the biggest war machine on the planet immediately deployed its vast resources to possess and control it, financing its research and development through agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and HHS’ BARDA.
The revolutionary breakthrough came to a Canadian scientist named Derek Rossi in 2010 purely by accident. The now-retired Harvard professor claimed in an interview with the National Post that he found a way to “reprogram” the molecules that carry the genetic instructions for cell development in the human body, not to mention all biological lifeforms.
These molecules are called ‘messenger ribonucleic acid’ or mRNA and the newfound ability to rewrite those instructions to produce any kind of cell within a biological organism has radically changed the course of Western medicine and science, even if no one has really noticed yet. As Rossi, himself, puts it: “The real important discovery here was you could now use mRNA, and if you got it into the cells, then you could get the mRNA to express any protein in the cells, and this was the big thing.”
It was so big that by 2014, Rossi was able to retire after the company he co-founded with Flagship Pioneering private equity firm to exploit his innovation, – Moderna Inc., attracted almost a half billion dollars in federal award monies to begin developing vaccines using the technology. No longer affiliated with Moderna beyond his stock holdings, Rossi is just “watching for what happens next” and if he’s anything like the doting “hockey dad” he is portrayed to be, he must be horrified.
Remote control biology
As early as 2006, DARPA was already researching how to identify viral, upper respiratory pathogens through its Predicting Health and Disease (PHD) program, which led to the creation of the agency’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO), as reported by Whitney Webb in a May article for The Last American Vagabond. In 2014, DARPA’s BTO launched its “In Vivo Nanoplatforms” (IVN) program, which researches implantable nanotechnologies, leading to the development of ‘hydrogel’.
Hydrogel is a nanotechnology whose inventor early on boasted that “If [it] pans out, with approval from FDA, then consumers could get the sensors implanted in their core to measure their levels of glucose, oxygen, and lactate.” This contact lens-like material requires a special injector to be introduced under the skin where it can transmit light-based digital signals through a wireless network like 5G.
Once firmly implanted inside the body, human cells are at the mercy of any mRNA program delivered via this substrate, unleashing a nightmare of possibilities. It is, perhaps, the first true step towards full-on transhumanism; a “philosophy” that is in vogue with many powerful and influential people, such as Google’s Ray Kurzweil and Eric Schmidt and whose proponents see the fusion of technology and biology as an inevitable consequence of human progress.
The private company created to market this technology, that allows for biological processes to be controlled remotely and opens the door to the potential manipulation of our biological responses and, ultimately, our entire existence, is called Profusa Inc and its operations are funded with millions from NIH and DARPA. In March, the company was quietly inserted into the crowded COVID-19 bazaar in March 2020, when it announced an injectable biochip for the detection of viral respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
A wholly-owned subsidiary
In July, a preliminary report funded by Fauci’s NIAID and the NIH on an mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, concluding that mRNA-1273 vaccine. provided by Moderna for the study, “induced anti–SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants, and no trial-limiting safety concerns were identified,” and supported “further development of this vaccine.”
A month earlier, the NIH had claimed a joint stake in Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, citing a contract signed in December, 2019, stipulating that the “mRNA coronavirus vaccine candidates [are] developed and jointly owned” by both parties. Moderna disputes the federal government’s position, stating that the company “has a broad owned and licensed IP estate” and is “not aware of any IP that would prevent us from commercializing our product candidates, including mRNA-1273.”
The only obstacle is a delivery system, which though Moderna claims to be developing separately, is unlikely to get FDA approval before the federal government’s own DARPA-developed hydrogel technology, in tandem with Profusa’s DARPA-funded light sensor technology, which is expected to receive fast track authorization from the Food and Drug Administration by early 2021 and, more than likely, used to deploy a coronavirus vaccine with the capacity to literally change our DNA.
In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is currently investigating Moderna’s patent filings, claiming it failed to disclose “federal government support” in its COVID vaccine candidate patent applications, as required by law. The technicality could result in the federal government owning a 100 percent stake in mRNA-1273.
Feature photo | Jowan Osterlund from Biohax Sweden holds a small microchip implant, similar to those implanted into workers at the Epicenter digital innovation business cente in central Stockholm. James Brooks | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-09-17--Why Arab Leaders Are Suddenly Groveling at the Chance to Normalize Ties with Israel

As these words are being written , the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are in Washington DC to sign agreements to normalize relations between their countries and the state of Israel .
While the United States and Israel were represented by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , the Arab states sent their foreign ministers to represent their countries at the signing ceremony .
This may have less to do with protocol and more to do with the fact that both Trump and Netanyahu are fighting for their political lives and for them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunt .
Today ’ s spectacle was a far cry from the resolute , principled , and courageous stance that was presented by Arab leaders in Khartoum almost exactly 53 years ago .
In the aftermath of the Israeli assault on Arab lands in 1967 , even as the gun barrels were still smoking , a meeting of the heads of the Arab states was convened in the Sudanese capital , Khartoum .
This meeting brought about a courageous resolution that said no to recognition , no to negotiations , and no to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Egypt , the largest of all the Arab states , Syria and Jordan were demolished completely , close to 18,000 Arab soldiers were killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians were made homeless , and yet the leaders of the Arab states stood and said , “ no ” to the mighty aggressor , Israel .
The resolution of the Arab states to reject the brutal apartheid regime of Israel was accepted in August of 1967 , at the Arab League summit just two months after Israel had decimated the armies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Golan Heights from Syria , the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt , and had completed the conquest of Palestine by taking the West Bank , East Jerusalem , and the Gaza Strip .
That resolution , which later became known as the “ Three No ’ s , ” is still used by Zionist propagandists to demonstrate the Arab states ’ unwillingness to make peace with Israel , and recognize the so-called Jewish State .
However , in light of the deadly Israeli assault on these countries , their unwillingness to capitulate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is the success of the Zionist movement to reverse the Arab commitment to Palestine .
Step by step , starting with the largest Arab state , Egypt , then Jordan , and now with the Gulf States and even Sudan , the Arab regimes have been “ normalizing ” relations with Israel .
If one could imagine themselves as the head of an Arab state just for a moment , what would that be like ?
One would see that the Arab countries that were steadfast in their support of the Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , Yemen , Libya , and Syria .
The punishment for those who did not capitulate willingly was severe .
Further afield is Iran , and while for the moment it is safe from an all-out military attack , mostly because the U.S. and Israel are incapable of facing the Iranian forces head-on , it is suffering greatly from severe sanctions .
Relations with Israel provide access to much desired U.S.-made weapons and other perks such as security and economic cooperation .
As a leader of an Arab state , what choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly said that the leaders of the UAE and Bahrain , and possibly other Arab states that will be normalizing relations with Israel soon , decided to put the Palestinian issue behind them and focus on other issues like economic cooperation , tourism , and to place the needs and indeed the future of their own countries ahead of the Palestinian issue .
It is easy to criticize the Arab states for turning their back on their Palestinian brothers and sisters .
However , larger and more influential countries are no different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and India all conduct a great deal of business with Israel and have long since forgotten about the Palestinians .
Israel has successfully taken the Palestinian issue off the world stage .
Regardless of how often Israel attacks Gaza or how viciously it attacks , regardless of how many Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons and how severe the conditions in which Palestinians live , Israel succeeded in getting the world to look the other way .
There have been reports about popular resistance in Bahrain by groups who oppose the normalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a betrayal of the Palestinian people .
The expectation is that these voices will be silenced quickly by the Bahraini government .
Furthermore , Kuwaiti government sources announced that “ Kuwait ’ s position towards Israel is unchanged after its accord with the United Arab Emirates.
” Kuwaiti officials also denied Israeli flights to fly through Kuwaiti airspace .
Israel ’ s attempts to build alliances go beyond the Arabian peninsula and into Africa as well .
The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdokmet recently met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet Israeli officials in Jerusalem .
Israel was Pompeo ’ s first stop in a tour designed to convince more Arab countries to normalize ties with the Zionist state .
Furthermore , reports confirm that the US secretary of State ’ s visit to Khartoum was meant to discuss relations between Sudan and Israel .
The Sudanese Prime Minister told Pompeo that his government “ had no mandate to normalize ties with Israel , ” and he added that the subject of lifting Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
Clearly , removal from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list is the carrot Pompeo is offering Sudan .
Following the meeting , the U.S. State Department said in a statement that Pompeo and Hamdok discussed “ positive developments in the Sudan-Israel relationship , ” which should come as no surprise .
It is hard to imagine that the Sudanese leadership can afford to refuse an offer from the U.S. , certainly one as attractive as lifting the designation of State Sponsor of Terrorism , which will open doors and allow for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , let ’ s return for a moment and imagine ourselves as the head of an African or Arab nation .
The choice is submission and relations with the Israeli apartheid regime , which will lead to new economic possibilities , or maintaining a firm , principled stance , and suffering destruction by war or slow suffocation through sanctions .
Feature photo | From left , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , President Donald Trump , Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Room Balcony during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House , Sept. 15 , 2020 , in Washington .
Alex Brandon | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

As these words are being written, the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are in Washington DC to sign agreements to normalize relations between their countries and the state of Israel. While the United States and Israel were represented by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Arab states sent their foreign ministers to represent their countries at the signing ceremony. This may have less to do with protocol and more to do with the fact that both Trump and Netanyahu are fighting for their political lives and for them, this was a much needed public relations stunt.
Today’s spectacle was a far cry from the resolute, principled, and courageous stance that was presented by Arab leaders in Khartoum almost exactly 53 years ago. In the aftermath of the Israeli assault on Arab lands in 1967, even as the gun barrels were still smoking, a meeting of the heads of the Arab states was convened in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. This meeting brought about a courageous resolution that said no to recognition, no to negotiations, and no to peace with Israel. The Arab armies of Egypt, the largest of all the Arab states, Syria and Jordan were demolished completely, close to 18,000 Arab soldiers were killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians were made homeless, and yet the leaders of the Arab states stood and said, “no” to the mighty aggressor, Israel.
The resolution of the Arab states to reject the brutal apartheid regime of Israel was accepted in August of 1967, at the Arab League summit just two months after Israel had decimated the armies of three Arab states and had violently taken the Golan Heights from Syria, the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and had completed the conquest of Palestine by taking the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
That resolution, which later became known as the “Three No’s,” is still used by Zionist propagandists to demonstrate the Arab states’ unwillingness to make peace with Israel, and recognize the so-called Jewish State. However, in light of the deadly Israeli assault on these countries, their unwillingness to capitulate was heroic. What is unfortunate, however, is the success of the Zionist movement to reverse the Arab commitment to Palestine. Step by step, starting with the largest Arab state, Egypt, then Jordan, and now with the Gulf States and even Sudan, the Arab regimes have been “normalizing” relations with Israel.
Access to the empire
If one could imagine themselves as the head of an Arab state just for a moment, what would that be like? One would see that the Arab countries that were steadfast in their support of the Palestinian cause are now destroyed. Starting with Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Syria. The punishment for those who did not capitulate willingly was severe. Further afield is Iran, and while for the moment it is safe from an all-out military attack, mostly because the U.S. and Israel are incapable of facing the Iranian forces head-on, it is suffering greatly from severe sanctions.
Relations with Israel provide access to much desired U.S.-made weapons and other perks such as security and economic cooperation. As a leader of an Arab state, what choice would one make? Commentators on CNN repeatedly said that the leaders of the UAE and Bahrain, and possibly other Arab states that will be normalizing relations with Israel soon, decided to put the Palestinian issue behind them and focus on other issues like economic cooperation, tourism, and to place the needs and indeed the future of their own countries ahead of the Palestinian issue.
It is easy to criticize the Arab states for turning their back on their Palestinian brothers and sisters. However, larger and more influential countries are no different. Russia, the European Union, China, and India all conduct a great deal of business with Israel and have long since forgotten about the Palestinians. Israel has successfully taken the Palestinian issue off the world stage. Regardless of how often Israel attacks Gaza or how viciously it attacks, regardless of how many Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons and how severe the conditions in which Palestinians live, Israel succeeded in getting the world to look the other way.
The opposition
There have been reports about popular resistance in Bahrain by groups who oppose the normalization of relations with Israel and rightfully see it as a betrayal of the Palestinian people. The expectation is that these voices will be silenced quickly by the Bahraini government.
Furthermore, Kuwaiti government sources announced that “Kuwait’s position towards Israel is unchanged after its accord with the United Arab Emirates.” Kuwaiti officials also denied Israeli flights to fly through Kuwaiti airspace.
Sudan
Israel’s attempts to build alliances go beyond the Arabian peninsula and into Africa as well. The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdokmet recently met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who visited Sudan following a trip to meet Israeli officials in Jerusalem. Israel was Pompeo’s first stop in a tour designed to convince more Arab countries to normalize ties with the Zionist state. Furthermore, reports confirm that the US secretary of State’s visit to Khartoum was meant to discuss relations between Sudan and Israel.
The Sudanese Prime Minister told Pompeo that his government “had no mandate to normalize ties with Israel,” and he added that the subject of lifting Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list should not be linked to normalizing ties with Israel. Clearly, removal from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list is the carrot Pompeo is offering Sudan.
Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that Pompeo and Hamdok discussed “positive developments in the Sudan-Israel relationship,” which should come as no surprise. It is hard to imagine that the Sudanese leadership can afford to refuse an offer from the U.S., certainly one as attractive as lifting the designation of State Sponsor of Terrorism, which will open doors and allow for economic growth for the African nation.
Now, let’s return for a moment and imagine ourselves as the head of an African or Arab nation. The choice is submission and relations with the Israeli apartheid regime, which will lead to new economic possibilities, or maintaining a firm, principled stance, and suffering destruction by war or slow suffocation through sanctions.
Feature photo | From left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-NahyanAbraham, stand on the Blue Room Balcony during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington. Alex Brandon | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


mintpressnews--2020-09-16--As Venezuela Foils CIA “Terror Plot” Pompeo Tours Its Neighbors To Talk Regime Change

Venezuela ’ s government has announced it has foiled a potential terror attack , arresting a former CIA operative while he was on a stakeout near the country ’ s largest oil refining facility .
Matthew John Heath was arrested with three other Venezuelans outside the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state in the west of the country , reportedly carrying a submachine gun , a grenade launcher , four blocks of C4 explosives , a satellite phone , and stacks of U.S. dollars .
He has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking .
The country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that Heath entered Venezuela illegally via the Colombian border without a passport , although police found a photocopy hidden on his person .
Saab also said that Heath was carrying a small coin or badge that CIA employees use to prove their identity to one another without raising suspicions .
Images released by the Venezuelan government show items seized from Heath upon his arrest : According to police investigations , Heath is a former marine who served as a communications operator in a “ secret CIA base ” in Iraq for ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was hired by private security firm MVM .
MVM was founded by a former U.S. Secret Service agent and continues to work closely with Washington .
According to business directory Dun & Bradstreet , the company “ provides security staffing and consulting services , primarily to U.S. government entities.
” “ Need a secret agent ?
” begins MVM ’ s biography .
Researcher Jeb Sprague told MintPress today that Heath ’ s family has a lengthy background in the oil industry .
While this suggests that the operation could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spying mission , it is difficult to see why anyone would possess grenade launchers and C4 if not for seriously nefarious purposes .
Silence on the incident from the U.S. government , who never misses an opportunity to escalate tensions with Venezuela , is notable .
The fact that the government has not commented on a U.S. citizen being charged with terrorism is “ very telling , ” according to Caribbean specialist Arnold August , who told By Any Means Necessary that Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “ are in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that there are obvious incursions organized by the U.S. into Venezuela that are far from peaceful.
” The story is also being downplayed or simply ignored by corporate media , despite their predilection for printing stories that paint the Maduro government as authoritarian .
This , for Latin America expert Dr. Rodrigo Acuña , was predictable .
“ I ’ m not surprised at the reaction to this article at all .
The mainstream media rarely look to verify or follow up any allegations made by the Maduro government in Caracas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overthrow it , ” he said .
Acuña , a researcher and former associate lecturer in Spanish and Latin American studies at MacQuarie University , Australia , told MintPress that the media often follows the U.S. government ’ s line when it comes to America ’ s “ backyard.
” After the botched May coup attempt that saw two American mercenaries , Airan Berry and Luke Denman , arrested , the government put out an extremely half-hearted denial , with Pompeo stating only that “ there was no U.S. government direct involvement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew who had funded the operation , promising to release the information “ at an appropriate time.
” This time , however , there has been radio silence from Washington .
The incident in Falcon state happens just as Pompeo is about to embark on a four-day trip to many of Venezuela ’ s closest neighbors in order , in the State Department ’ s own words , to “ defend democracy ” and “ strengthen security against regional threats.
” Interestingly , when visiting Brazil , Pompeo is not traveling to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest cities , Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo , but to Boa Vista , a small city deep in the Amazon jungle on the Venezuelan border , in order to “ underscore the importance of U.S. and Brazilian support for the Venezuelan people in their time of need by visiting with Venezuelan migrants fleeing the man made disaster in Venezuela.
” That the “ regional threat ” means Venezuela is made explicit in the press release , the State Department declaring that Pompeo will meet Colombian President Ivan Duque in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like “ Maduro ’ s illegitimate regime.
” Pompeo will also visit Venezuelan neighbors Guyana and Suriname .
The Bay of Piglets and other coups Just before the coup attempt in May , Trump advisor John Bolton not-so-cryptically tweeting that “ Morning is coming to Venezuela — again.
” U.S.-backed politician Juan Guaidó called on the military to rise up and overthrow Maduro .
At the same time , 300 troops , led by American ex-Green Berets , attempted an amphibious invasion of Venezuela .
Their mission was to shoot their way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensconcing Guaidó as president .
Guaidó had promised to pay the U.S. outfit around a quarter-billion dollars for their services .
However , the operation ended in complete disaster upon even minimal pushback , as the mercenaries were immediately overpowered and apprehended by disgruntled members of the House of Socialist Fishermen in the sleepy coastal village of Chuao .
Images show that some of the heavily armed , highly-trained mercenaries appear to have wet themselves in terror when coming into contact with lobstermen armed with handguns , fishing knives and box cutters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 years in prison for their actions .
The U.S. government has bankrolled , if not organized , a great number of coup attempts in Venezuela , going back to 2002 , where it supported insurrection attempts in April and December .
Since then , it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars funding , training , organizing and supporting groups inside the country , all of which have one thing in common : a strong aversion to the left-wing government that has held power since 1999 .
Juan Guaidó , the self-declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon protege in 2007 as a leader of ultimately unsuccessful student protests aimed at forcing a change of government , subsequently studying at George Washington University in Washington , D.C .
Since January 2019 , Guaidó has launched five audacious bids at seizing the presidency from Maduro , each less successful than the last .
Even before the “ Bay of Piglets ” fiasco in May , he was supported by only three percent of Venezuelans .
The Amuay and Cardon refineries form the world ’ s second largest refining complex , capable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gasoline per day , putting into perspective the enormity of the charges levied against Heath .
Current oil production is far lower , however , due to mismanagement , and to U.S. sanctions , which greatly reduce the customers Venezuela has for its primary product .
As the economy shrunk , poverty rose and so did shortages of key products .
Large numbers of people simply left the country .
And as sanctions bite , production levels have dropped to the point where there is even a gasoline shortage inside the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government , the U.S. , the opposition , and anyone in a position of authority .
The COVID lockdown has led to reduced demand for oil , as citizens stay home as much as they can .
Nevertheless , the destruction of the country ’ s largest oil refining complex would be a devastating blow to the society — all the more reason it might be targeted by those wishing to finally see an end to the socialist government .
Feature photo | Venezuela ’ s Attorney General Tarek William Saab holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized with other weapons in connection with what the government calls a failed attack over the weekend aimed at overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro , during a press conference in Caracas , Venezuela , May 8 , 2020 .
Matias Delacroix | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Venezuela’s government has announced it has foiled a potential terror attack, arresting a former CIA operative while he was on a stakeout near the country’s largest oil refining facility.
Matthew John Heath was arrested with three other Venezuelans outside the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state in the west of the country, reportedly carrying a submachine gun, a grenade launcher, four blocks of C4 explosives, a satellite phone, and stacks of U.S. dollars. He has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking. The country’s prosecutor general, Tarek William Saab, claimed that Heath entered Venezuela illegally via the Colombian border without a passport, although police found a photocopy hidden on his person. Saab also said that Heath was carrying a small coin or badge that CIA employees use to prove their identity to one another without raising suspicions.
Images released by the Venezuelan government show items seized from Heath upon his arrest:
According to police investigations, Heath is a former marine who served as a communications operator in a “secret CIA base” in Iraq for ten years between 2006 and 2016, where he was hired by private security firm MVM. MVM was founded by a former U.S. Secret Service agent and continues to work closely with Washington. According to business directory Dun & Bradstreet, the company “provides security staffing and consulting services, primarily to U.S. government entities.” “Need a secret agent?” begins MVM’s biography. Researcher Jeb Sprague told MintPress today that Heath’s family has a lengthy background in the oil industry. While this suggests that the operation could have been as “innocent” as a corporate spying mission, it is difficult to see why anyone would possess grenade launchers and C4 if not for seriously nefarious purposes.
A deafening silence
Silence on the incident from the U.S. government, who never misses an opportunity to escalate tensions with Venezuela, is notable. The fact that the government has not commented on a U.S. citizen being charged with terrorism is “very telling,” according to Caribbean specialist Arnold August, who told By Any Means Necessary that Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “are in a difficult position,” “dancing around the fact that there are obvious incursions organized by the U.S. into Venezuela that are far from peaceful.”
The story is also being downplayed or simply ignored by corporate media, despite their predilection for printing stories that paint the Maduro government as authoritarian. This, for Latin America expert Dr. Rodrigo Acuña, was predictable. “I’m not surprised at the reaction to this article at all. The mainstream media rarely look to verify or follow up any allegations made by the Maduro government in Caracas that the Trump administration is looking to overthrow it,” he said. Acuña, a researcher and former associate lecturer in Spanish and Latin American studies at Macquarie University, Australia, told MintPress that the media often follows the U.S. government’s line when it comes to America’s “backyard.”
When the Bush administration supported a coup against the government of Hugo Chavez in 2002, with very few exceptions, most of the mainstream media ignored these allegations. Then when evidence was presented they continued to ignore the claims made by Chavez. This situation continues until this day, where Washington is doing almost everything within its power to topple the government of Nicolas Maduro…For its part, Washington then ignores the statements that come out of Caracas or even at the United Nations while the mainstream media for their part also act in a similar manner.”
After the botched May coup attempt that saw two American mercenaries, Airan Berry and Luke Denman, arrested, the government put out an extremely half-hearted denial, with Pompeo stating only that “there was no U.S. government direct involvement,” although he did admit that he knew who had funded the operation, promising to release the information “at an appropriate time.” This time, however, there has been radio silence from Washington.
Pompeo’s regime change tour
The incident in Falcon state happens just as Pompeo is about to embark on a four-day trip to many of Venezuela’s closest neighbors in order, in the State Department’s own words, to “defend democracy” and “strengthen security against regional threats.” Interestingly, when visiting Brazil, Pompeo is not traveling to its capital Brasilia, nor either of its largest cities, Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, but to Boa Vista, a small city deep in the Amazon jungle on the Venezuelan border, in order to “underscore the importance of U.S. and Brazilian support for the Venezuelan people in their time of need by visiting with Venezuelan migrants fleeing the man made disaster in Venezuela.” That the “regional threat” means Venezuela is made explicit in the press release, the State Department declaring that Pompeo will meet Colombian President Ivan Duque in order to discuss “threats to regional security” like “Maduro’s illegitimate regime.” Pompeo will also visit Venezuelan neighbors Guyana and Suriname.
The Bay of Piglets and other coups
Just before the coup attempt in May, Trump advisor John Bolton not-so-cryptically tweeting that “Morning is coming to Venezuela — again.” U.S.-backed politician Juan Guaidó called on the military to rise up and overthrow Maduro. At the same time, 300 troops, led by American ex-Green Berets, attempted an amphibious invasion of Venezuela. Their mission was to shoot their way to Caracas, taking the presidential palace and ensconcing Guaidó as president. Guaidó had promised to pay the U.S. outfit around a quarter-billion dollars for their services. However, the operation ended in complete disaster upon even minimal pushback, as the mercenaries were immediately overpowered and apprehended by disgruntled members of the House of Socialist Fishermen in the sleepy coastal village of Chuao. Images show that some of the heavily armed, highly-trained mercenaries appear to have wet themselves in terror when coming into contact with lobstermen armed with handguns, fishing knives and box cutters. Berry and Denman were recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for their actions.
The U.S. government has bankrolled, if not organized, a great number of coup attempts in Venezuela, going back to 2002, where it supported insurrection attempts in April and December. Since then, it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars funding, training, organizing and supporting groups inside the country, all of which have one thing in common: a strong aversion to the left-wing government that has held power since 1999.
Juan Guaidó, the self-declared president of Venezuela, emerged as a Pentagon protege in 2007 as a leader of ultimately unsuccessful student protests aimed at forcing a change of government, subsequently studying at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Since January 2019, Guaidó has launched five audacious bids at seizing the presidency from Maduro, each less successful than the last. Even before the “Bay of Piglets” fiasco in May, he was supported by only three percent of Venezuelans.
Economic crisis
The Amuay and Cardon refineries form the world’s second largest refining complex, capable of producing nearly one million barrels of gasoline per day, putting into perspective the enormity of the charges levied against Heath. Current oil production is far lower, however, due to mismanagement, and to U.S. sanctions, which greatly reduce the customers Venezuela has for its primary product. As the economy shrunk, poverty rose and so did shortages of key products. Large numbers of people simply left the country. And as sanctions bite, production levels have dropped to the point where there is even a gasoline shortage inside the country, causing long lines and much resentment at the government, the U.S., the opposition, and anyone in a position of authority. The COVID lockdown has led to reduced demand for oil, as citizens stay home as much as they can. Nevertheless, the destruction of the country’s largest oil refining complex would be a devastating blow to the society — all the more reason it might be targeted by those wishing to finally see an end to the socialist government.
Feature photo | Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab holds a photo of bullets he says were seized with other weapons in connection with what the government calls a failed attack over the weekend aimed at overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro, during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, May 8, 2020. Matias Delacroix | 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--2020-09-16--Facebook Live Rant by Trump Coronavirus PR Guru Deepens Fears of Election Violence

Broadcasting over Facebook Live this past Sunday , public relations specialist and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Public Affairs , Michael Caputo , painted a dramatic picture of threats and coercion by federal officials , left-wing “ hit squads ” who are “ being trained all over the country ” to prevent another Trump presidency and the deterioration of his own mental health .
Caputo ’ s public meltdown comes on the heels of a broader clash going on behind the scenes between officials at HHS and the CDC over coronavirus messaging , in which Caputo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seek to “ align ” the CDC ’ s weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports ( MMWR ) with Trump ’ s pandemic messaging by altering or modifying the scientific data , or stopping the reports from coming out altogether .
The reports are used to determine who ’ s at the highest risk from week-to-week .
According to Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation , they are the “ go-to ” resource for the public health community to obtain “ scientifically vetted ” information , but emails sent by Caputo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Redfieldin early August complain about how the agency ’ s reports “ undermine President Donald Trump ’ s optimistic messages about the outbreak.
” Attempts were subsequently made to “ add caveats to the CDC ’ s findings ” and make retroactive changes to reports dealing with risks of Covid-19 , which the HHS spokesman characterized as “ wrongly inflated.
” One of Caputo ’ s recruits at HHS , assistant professor of health research at McMaster University in Canada , Paul Alexander , called for an “ immediate stop ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have played an essential role in U.S. epidemic messaging since the first report on HIV in 1981 , until he had personally reviewed the entire report and be allowed to make inline edits , per Politico .
Alexander questioned the definition of “ pediatric population ” in an upcoming report that lists 18-20 year-olds in that demographic , which the professor says is “ misleading ” and tantamount to hit pieces on the administration.
” Alexander also called on Redfield to modify two already published reports .
The “ CDC tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be spread and this will impact school re-opening .
.
.
Very misleading by CDC and shame on them .
Their aim is clear , ” Alexander stated .
Caputo ’ s most incendiary remarks on his social media rant involve the aforementioned “ hit squads , ” which are supposed to unleash a civil war of sorts at the forthcoming presidential inauguration .
While Caputo asserts a secret militia of left-wing radicals are in the process of staging a coup in America , efforts are underway by another Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , DHS , where acting director Chad Wolff has been trying to suppress a report prepared by the agency , itself , identifying right-wing , white supremacist groups as the “ primary terrorist threat ” to the United States , in addition to changing the focus of intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States to interference activities by China and Iran , according to a whistleblower complaint .
“ Lone offenders and small cells of individuals motivated by a diverse array of social , ideological , and personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United States .
Among these groups , we assess that white supremacist extremists – who increasingly are networking with like-minded persons abroad – will pose the most persistent and lethal threat.
” So reads a draft of the DHS document that Chad Wolff is accused of downplaying a whistleblower reprisal complaint submitted by the former head of Homeland Security ’ s intelligence division , Brian Murphy .
Murphy is participating in an ongoing investigation by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into DHS and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) .
In a statement following the release of the letter calling Mr. Murphy to testify before the committee , Schiff proclaimed that “ senior White House and Department of Homeland Security officials improperly sought to politicize , manipulate , and censor intelligence in order to benefit President Trump politically.
” Schiff was a pivotal figure in the impeachment hearings of 2018 that sought to convict Trump of collusion with Russian assets to fix the 2016 election .
Caputo , himself is considered a “ minor figure ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who referred a Russian who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton to Roger Stone , whose 40-year sentence for obstruction of justice and other charges was commuted in July .
Stone was one of Caputo ’ s 5,000+ Facebook Friends watching on Sunday .
There will be blood Caputo told viewers that “ they ’ re going to have to kill [ him ] , ” adding that he and his family have been “ continually threatened ” ever since joining the Administration .
Nevertheless , he assured that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump had put him in charge of a $ 250 million public service advertising campaign to attract more minority volunteers for clinical trials of potential Covid-19 vaccines.
” Calls for the resignation of the author of “ The Ukraine Hoax ” were made almost immediately by the ranking member of the Senate Health , Education , Labor , and Pensions ( HELP ) Committee , Patty Murray ( D-WA ) .
The question will , no doubt , be posed today at an open hearing to review the Department of Health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor , Health and Human Services , Education , and Related Agencies , which has called Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC , ASPR Robert Kadlec and Admiral Brett Giroir of the HHS to testify Wednesday morning .
Michael A. Caputo , who Senator Murray called “ a yes-man for President Trump with no scientific expertise , ” claimed on his Facebook Live broadcast that “ there are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well , not until after Joe Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Facebook and Twitter accounts soon after that .
But , not before leaving his 850 viewers with a portentous warning that “ the shooting will begin ” when Donald Trump refuses to step down after November .
Feature photo | Michael Caputo , left , joined by his attorney Dennis C. Vacco , leaves after being interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staff investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election , on Capitol Hill in Washington .
J. Scott Applewhite | AP

Broadcasting over Facebook Live this past Sunday, public relations specialist and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Public Affairs, Michael Caputo, painted a dramatic picture of threats and coercion by federal officials, left-wing “hit squads” who are “being trained all over the country” to prevent another Trump presidency and the deterioration of his own mental health.
Caputo’s public meltdown comes on the heels of a broader clash going on behind the scenes between officials at HHS and the CDC over coronavirus messaging, in which Caputo, along with advisor Paul Alexander and others, seek to “align” the CDC’s weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) with Trump’s pandemic messaging by altering or modifying the scientific data, or stopping the reports from coming out altogether.
The reports are used to determine who’s at the highest risk from week-to-week. According to Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation, they are the “go-to” resource for the public health community to obtain “scientifically vetted” information, but emails sent by Caputo’s team to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfieldin early August complain about how the agency’s reports “undermine President Donald Trump’s optimistic messages about the outbreak.” Attempts were subsequently made to “add caveats to the CDC’s findings” and make retroactive changes to reports dealing with risks of Covid-19, which the HHS spokesman characterized as “wrongly inflated.”
One of Caputo’s recruits at HHS, assistant professor of health research at McMaster University in Canada, Paul Alexander, called for an “immediate stop” to the publication of the CDC reports, which have played an essential role in U.S. epidemic messaging since the first report on HIV in 1981, until he had personally reviewed the entire report and be allowed to make inline edits, per Politico. Alexander questioned the definition of “pediatric population” in an upcoming report that lists 18-20 year-olds in that demographic, which the professor says is “misleading” and tantamount to hit pieces on the administration.” Alexander also called on Redfield to modify two already published reports. The “CDC tried to report as if once kids get together, there will be spread and this will impact school re-opening . . . Very misleading by CDC and shame on them. Their aim is clear,” Alexander stated.
Caputo’s most incendiary remarks on his social media rant involve the aforementioned “hit squads,” which are supposed to unleash a civil war of sorts at the forthcoming presidential inauguration. While Caputo asserts a secret militia of left-wing radicals are in the process of staging a coup in America, efforts are underway by another Trump appointee at the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, where acting director Chad Wolff has been trying to suppress a report prepared by the agency, itself, identifying right-wing, white supremacist groups as the “primary terrorist threat” to the United States, in addition to changing the focus of intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States to interference activities by China and Iran, according to a whistleblower complaint.
Murphy’s Law
“Lone offenders and small cells of individuals motivated by a diverse array of social, ideological, and personal factors will pose the primary terrorist threat to the United States. Among these groups, we assess that white supremacist extremists – who increasingly are networking with like-minded persons abroad – will pose the most persistent and lethal threat.” So reads a draft of the DHS document that Chad Wolff is accused of downplaying a whistleblower reprisal complaint submitted by the former head of Homeland Security’s intelligence division, Brian Murphy. Murphy is participating in an ongoing investigation by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into DHS and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
In a statement following the release of the letter calling Mr. Murphy to testify before the committee, Schiff proclaimed that “senior White House and Department of Homeland Security officials improperly sought to politicize, manipulate, and censor intelligence in order to benefit President Trump politically.” Schiff was a pivotal figure in the impeachment hearings of 2018 that sought to convict Trump of collusion with Russian assets to fix the 2016 election.
Caputo, himself is considered a “minor figure” in the Russiagate scandal as the individual who referred a Russian who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton to Roger Stone, whose 40-year sentence for obstruction of justice and other charges was commuted in July. Stone was one of Caputo’s 5,000+ Facebook Friends watching on Sunday.
There will be blood
Caputo told viewers that “they’re going to have to kill [him],” adding that he and his family have been “continually threatened” ever since joining the Administration. Nevertheless, he assured that he’s not “going anywhere,” announcing that Trump had put him in charge of a $250 million public service advertising campaign to attract more minority volunteers for clinical trials of potential Covid-19 vaccines.”
Calls for the resignation of the author of “The Ukraine Hoax” were made almost immediately by the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Patty Murray (D-WA). The question will, no doubt, be posed today at an open hearing to review the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus response efforts by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, which has called Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC, ASPR Robert Kadlec and Admiral Brett Giroir of the HHS to testify Wednesday morning.
Michael A. Caputo, who Senator Murray called “a yes-man for President Trump with no scientific expertise,” claimed on his Facebook Live broadcast that “there are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not until after Joe Biden is president.” He proceeded to deactivate both his Facebook and Twitter accounts soon after that. But, not before leaving his 850 viewers with a portentous warning that “the shooting will begin” when Donald Trump refuses to step down after November.
Feature photo | Michael Caputo, left, joined by his attorney Dennis C. Vacco, leaves after being interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staff investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, on Capitol Hill in Washington. J. Scott Applewhite | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-09-16--The ‘Desaparecidos’ of Palestine: Gantz Escalates Israel’s War on the Dead

On September 2 , the Israeli government approved a proposal that allows the military to indefinitely withhold the bodies of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli army .
The proposal was made by the country ’ s Defense Minister , Benny Gantz .
Gantz is the main political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
He also serves the role of the ‘ alternate Prime Minister.
’ If Netanyahu does not renege on the coalition government agreement he signed with Gantz ’ s Blue and White Party last April , Gantz will take the helm of Israel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since his official induction to the tumultuous world of Israeli politics , Gantz , supposedly a ‘ centrist ’ , has adopted hawkish stances against Palestinians , especially those in Gaza .
This way , he hopes to widen his appeal to Israeli voters , the majority of whom have migrated en-masse to the Right .
But Gantz ’ s latest ‘ achievement ’ , that of denying dead Palestinians a proper burial , is not entirely a novel idea .
In fact , in Israel , bargaining with corpses has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Defense Minister ’ s logic , the withholding of bodies will serve as a ‘ deterrent against terror attacks.
’ However , judging by the fact that the practice has been in use for many years , there is no proof that Palestinians were ever discouraged from resisting Israel ’ s military occupation due to such strategies .
The new policy , according to Israeli officials , is different from the previous practices .
While in the past , Israel has only kept the bodies of alleged ‘ Palestinian attackers ’ who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest decision by the Israeli government would extend the rule to apply to all Palestinians , even those who have no political affiliations .
Aside from Gantz ’ s attempt at shoring up his hawkish credentials , the military man-turned politician wants to improve his chances in the on and off , indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza .
Israel believes that there are four soldiers who are currently being held in Gaza , including the bodies of two soldiers who were killed during the devastating Israeli war on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamas has maintained that two of the four soldiers – Hadar Goldin and Shaul Aaron – are , in fact , still alive and in custody .
For years , low-level talks between Hamas and Israel have aimed at securing a deal that would see an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners freed in exchange for the detained Israelis .
By withholding yet more Palestinian bodies , Tel Aviv hopes to strengthen its position in future talks .
The reality , however , is quite different .
The Israeli army has not been returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of attacking Israeli soldiers for months , which includes all Palestinians , regardless of their purported political affiliations .
Undoubtedly , withholding corpses as a political strategy is illegal under international law .
Article 130 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly states that persons who are killed during armed conflicts should be “ honorably buried … according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged.
” The Israeli Supreme Court , however , which quite often rules contrary to international law , resolved on September 9 , 2019 – exactly one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision – that the army has the right to continue with the practice of withholding the bodies of dead Palestinians .
While Israel is not the first country to use the dead as a bargaining chip , the practice in Israel has lasted as long as the conflict itself , and has been utilized in myriad ways with the intention of humiliating , collectively punishing and bargaining with Palestinians .
During Argentina ’ s ‘ Dirty War ’ ( 1976-1983 ) , tens of thousands of Argentinians ‘ disappeared ’ .
Students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other dissidents were killed by the country ’ s regime in an unprecedented genocide .
The bodies of most of these victims were never recovered .
However , the practice largely ceased following the collapse of the military junta in 1983 .
Similar ordeals have been inflicted by other countries in many parts of the world .
In Israel however , the practice is not linked to a specific military regime or a particular leader .
The ‘ desaparecidos ’ of Palestine span several generations .
To this day , Israel maintains what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers ’ .
Salwa Hammad , a coordinator for the Palestinian National Campaign to Retrieve Martyrs , estimates that there are six such cemeteries in Israel , although Israeli authorities refuse to divulge more details regarding the nature of these cemeteries , or exactly how many Palestinian bodies are buried there .
The Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center estimates that 255 Palestinian bodies are buried in these cemeteries , 52 of them being ‘ detained ’ there by Israeli authorities since 2016 .
In the ‘ cemeteries of numbers ’ , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but by a number , one that only Israel can cross-reference to the actual individual who is buried there .
In 2011 , the body of Hafez Abu Zant was released after being held in one of these cemeteries for 35 years , Bernama news agency reported .
According to Hammad , “ If the remains are in a ‘ cemetery of numbers ’ , we get it back in a black bag – some bones , some soil and maybe their clothes.
” Following the Israeli cabinet ’ s approval of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to apply “ an extensive policy of deterrence since entering office ” .
The truth is that Gantz is merely posturing and taking credit for a protracted Israeli policy that has been applied by all previous governments , regardless of their political orientations .
If Gantz is truly convinced that holding dead Palestinian bodies – while maintaining the Israeli military occupation – will bring about whatever skewed definition of peace and security he has in mind , he is sadly mistaken .
Such policies have proven a complete failure .
While Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice , the detention of corpses has never quelled a rebellion , neither in Argentina nor in Palestine .
Feature photo | Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz arrives to deliver a statement in Tel Aviv , Israel , Saturday , March 7 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner ) Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

On September 2, the Israeli government approved a proposal that allows the military to indefinitely withhold the bodies of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli army. The proposal was made by the country’s Defense Minister, Benny Gantz.
Gantz is the main political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also serves the role of the ‘alternate Prime Minister.’ If Netanyahu does not renege on the coalition government agreement he signed with Gantz’s Blue and White Party last April, Gantz will take the helm of Israel’s leadership, starting November 2021.
Since his official induction to the tumultuous world of Israeli politics, Gantz, supposedly a ‘centrist’, has adopted hawkish stances against Palestinians, especially those in Gaza. This way, he hopes to widen his appeal to Israeli voters, the majority of whom have migrated en-masse to the Right.
But Gantz’s latest ‘achievement’, that of denying dead Palestinians a proper burial, is not entirely a novel idea. In fact, in Israel, bargaining with corpses has been the modus operandi for decades.
According to the Defense Minister’s logic, the withholding of bodies will serve as a ‘deterrent against terror attacks.’ However, judging by the fact that the practice has been in use for many years, there is no proof that Palestinians were ever discouraged from resisting Israel’s military occupation due to such strategies.
The new policy, according to Israeli officials, is different from the previous practices. While in the past, Israel has only kept the bodies of alleged ‘Palestinian attackers’ who belonged to ‘terror groups’, the latest decision by the Israeli government would extend the rule to apply to all Palestinians, even those who have no political affiliations.
Aside from Gantz’s attempt at shoring up his hawkish credentials, the military man-turned politician wants to improve his chances in the on and off, indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza. Israel believes that there are four soldiers who are currently being held in Gaza, including the bodies of two soldiers who were killed during the devastating Israeli war on the besieged Strip in July 2014. Hamas has maintained that two of the four soldiers – Hadar Goldin and Shaul Aaron – are, in fact, still alive and in custody.
For years, low-level talks between Hamas and Israel have aimed at securing a deal that would see an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners freed in exchange for the detained Israelis. By withholding yet more Palestinian bodies, Tel Aviv hopes to strengthen its position in future talks.
The reality, however, is quite different. The Israeli army has not been returning the bodies of Palestinians who are accused of attacking Israeli soldiers for months, which includes all Palestinians, regardless of their purported political affiliations.
Undoubtedly, withholding corpses as a political strategy is illegal under international law. Article 130 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly states that persons who are killed during armed conflicts should be “honorably buried … according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged.”
The Israeli Supreme Court, however, which quite often rules contrary to international law, resolved on September 9, 2019 – exactly one year before the Israeli cabinet’s decision – that the army has the right to continue with the practice of withholding the bodies of dead Palestinians.
While Israel is not the first country to use the dead as a bargaining chip, the practice in Israel has lasted as long as the conflict itself, and has been utilized in myriad ways with the intention of humiliating, collectively punishing and bargaining with Palestinians.
During Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ (1976-1983), tens of thousands of Argentinians ‘disappeared’. Students, intellectuals, trade unionists and thousands of other dissidents were killed by the country’s regime in an unprecedented genocide. The bodies of most of these victims were never recovered. However, the practice largely ceased following the collapse of the military junta in 1983.
Similar ordeals have been inflicted by other countries in many parts of the world. In Israel however, the practice is not linked to a specific military regime or a particular leader. The ‘desaparecidos’ of Palestine span several generations.
To this day, Israel maintains what is known as the ‘cemeteries of numbers’. Salwa Hammad, a coordinator for the Palestinian National Campaign to Retrieve Martyrs, estimates that there are six such cemeteries in Israel, although Israeli authorities refuse to divulge more details regarding the nature of these cemeteries, or exactly how many Palestinian bodies are buried there.
The Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center estimates that 255 Palestinian bodies are buried in these cemeteries, 52 of them being ‘detained’ there by Israeli authorities since 2016.
In the ‘cemeteries of numbers’, Palestinians are known, not by name, but by a number, one that only Israel can cross-reference to the actual individual who is buried there. In 2011, the body of Hafez Abu Zant was released after being held in one of these cemeteries for 35 years, Bernama news agency reported.
According to Hammad, “If the remains are in a ‘cemetery of numbers’, we get it back in a black bag – some bones, some soil and maybe their clothes.”
Following the Israeli cabinet’s approval of his proposal, Gantz bragged about his ability to apply “an extensive policy of deterrence since entering office”. The truth is that Gantz is merely posturing and taking credit for a protracted Israeli policy that has been applied by all previous governments, regardless of their political orientations.
If Gantz is truly convinced that holding dead Palestinian bodies – while maintaining the Israeli military occupation – will bring about whatever skewed definition of peace and security he has in mind, he is sadly mistaken.
Such policies have proven a complete failure. While Palestinian families are absolutely devastated by this hideous practice, the detention of corpses has never quelled a rebellion, neither in Argentina nor in Palestine.
Feature photo | Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz arrives to deliver a statement in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, March 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net