mintpressnews--2020-01-17--How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump’s True Motives in Iraq

Since the U.S. killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis earlier this month , the official narrative has held that their deaths were necessary to prevent a vague , yet allegedly imminent , threat of violence towards Americans , though President Trump has since claimed whether or not Soleimani or his Iraqi allies posed an imminent threat “ doesn ’ t really matter.
” While the situation between Iran , Iraq and the U.S. appears to have de-escalated substantially , at least for now , it is worth revisiting the lead-up to the recent U.S.-Iraq/Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in order to understand one of the most overlooked yet relevant drivers behind Trump ’ s current policy with respect to Iraq : preventing China from expanding its foothold in the Middle East .
Indeed , it has been alleged that even the timing of Soleimani ’ s assassination was directly related to his diplomatic role in Iraq and his push to help Iraq secure its oil independence , beginning with the implementation of a new massive oil deal with China .
While recent rhetoric in the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s influence in Iraq , China ’ s recent dealings with Iraq — particularly in its oil sector — are to blame for much of what has transpired in Iraq in recent months , at least according to Iraq ’ s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi , who is currently serving in a caretaker role .
Much of the U.S. pressure exerted on Iraq ’ s government with respect to China has reportedly taken place covertly and behind closed doors , keeping the Trump administration ’ s concerns over China ’ s growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view , perhaps over concerns that a public scuffle could exacerbate the U.S.-China “ trade war ” and endanger efforts to resolve it .
Yet , whatever the reasons may be , evidence strongly suggests that the U.S. is equally concerned about China ’ s presence in Iraq as it is with Iran ’ s .
This is because China has the means and the ability to dramatically undermine not only the U.S. ’ control over Iraq ’ s oil sector but the entire petrodollar system on which the U.S. ’ status as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends .
Behind the curtain , a different narrative for Iraq-US Tensions Iraq ’ s caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi gave a series of remarks on January 5 , during a parliamentary session that received surprisingly little media attention .
During the session , which also saw Iraq ’ s Parliament approve the removal of all foreign ( including American ) troops from the country , Abdul-Mahdi made a series of claims about the lead-up to the recent situation that placed Iraq at the heart of spiking U.S.-Iran tensions .
During that session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements were broadcast on television , after the Iraqi Speaker of the House — Mohammed Al-Halbousi , who has a close relationship with Washington — requested the video feed be cut .
Al-Halbousi oddly attended the parliamentary session even though it was boycotted by his allied Sunni and Kurdish representatives .
After the feed was cut , MPs who were present wrote down Abdul-Mahdi ’ s remarks , which were then given to the Arabic news outlet Ida ’ at .
Per that transcript , Abdul-Mahdi stated that : Abdul-Mahdi continued his remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration over his negotiations and subsequent dealings with China grew substantially over time , even resulting in death threats to himself and his defense minister : Very few English language outlets reported on Abdul-Mahdi ’ s comments .
Tom Luongo , a Florida-based Independent Analyst and publisher of The Gold Goats ‘ n Guns Newsletter , told MintPress that the likely reasons for the “ surprising ” media silence over Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims were because “ It never really made it out into official channels… ” due to the cutting of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session and due to the fact that “ it ’ s very inconvenient and the media — since Trump is doing what they want him to do , be belligerent with Iran , protected Israel ’ s interests there.
” “ They aren ’ t going to contradict him on that if he ’ s playing ball , ” Luongo added , before continuing that the media would nonetheless “ hold onto it for future reference….If this comes out for real , they ’ ll use it against him later if he tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington is used as leverage , ” he added .
Given the lack of media coverage and the cutting of the video feed of Abdul-Mahdi ’ s full remarks , it is worth pointing out that the narrative he laid out in his censored speech not only fits with the timeline of recent events he discusses but also the tactics known to have been employed behind closed doors by the Trump administration , particularly after Mike Pompeo left the CIA to become Secretary of State .
For instance , Abdul-Mahdi ’ s delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the protests against his government that Trump reportedly threatened to start on October 1 .
Reports of a “ third side ” firing on Iraqi protesters were picked up by major media outlets at the time , such as in this BBC report which stated : U.S.-backed protests in other countries , such as in Ukraine in 2014 , also saw evidence of a “ third side ” shooting both protesters and security forces alike .
After six weeks of intense protests , Abdul-Mahdi submitted his resignation on November 29 , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister praised the new deals , including the “ oil for reconstruction ” deal , that had been signed with China .
Abdul-Mahdi has since stayed on as Prime Minister in a caretaker role until Parliament decides on his replacement .
Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims of the covert pressure by the Trump administration are buttressed by the use of similar tactics against Ecuador , where , in July 2018 , a U.S. delegation at the United Nations threatened the nation with punitive trade measures and the withdrawal of military aid if Ecuador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN resolution to “ protect , promote and support breastfeeding.
” The New York Times reported at the time that the U.S. delegation was seeking to promote the interests of infant formula manufacturers .
If the U.S. delegation is willing to use such pressure on nations for promoting breastfeeding over infant formula , it goes without saying that such behind-closed-doors pressure would be significantly more intense if a much more lucrative resource , e.g .
oil , were involved .
Regarding Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims , Luongo told MintPress that it is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone in the Trump administration making threats to Abdul-Mahdi , not necessarily Trump himself .
“ What I won ’ t say directly is that I don ’ t know it was Trump at the other end of the phone calls .
Mahdi , it is to his best advantage politically to blame everything on Trump .
It could have been Mike Pompeo or Gina Haspel talking to Abdul-Mahdi… It could have been anyone , it most likely would be someone with plausible deniability….This [ Mahdi ’ s claims ] sounds credible… I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these threats but I don ’ t think Trump would make those threats directly like that , but it would absolutely be consistent with U.S. policy.
” Luongo also argued that the current tensions between U.S. and Iraqi leadership preceded the oil deal between Iraq and China by several weeks , “ All of this starts with Prime Minister Mahdi starting the process of opening up the Iraq-Syria border crossing and that was announced in August .
Then , the Israeli air attacks happened in September to try and stop that from happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border crossing along with the ammo dump attacks near Baghdad… This drew the Iraqis ’ ire… Mahdi then tried to close the air space over Iraq , but how much of that he can enforce is a big question.
” As to why it would be to Mahdi ’ s advantage to blame Trump , Luongo stated that Mahdi “ can make edicts all day long , but , in reality , how much can he actually restrain the U.S. or the Israelis from doing anything ?
Except for shame , diplomatic shame… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s claims ] seems perfectly credible because , during all of this , Trump is probably or someone else is shaking him [ Mahdi ] down for the reconstruction of the oil fields [ in Iraq ] …Trump has explicitly stated “ we want the oil.
” ’ As Luongo noted , Trump ’ s interest in the U.S. obtaining a significant share of Iraqi oil revenue is hardly a secret .
Just last March , Trump asked Abdul-Mahdi “ How about the oil ?
” at the end of a meeting at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask “ What do you mean ?
” To which Trump responded “ Well , we did a lot , we did a lot over there , we spent trillions over there , and a lot of people have been talking about the oil , ” which was widely interpreted as Trump asking for part of Iraq ’ s oil revenue in exchange for the steep costs of the U.S. ’ continuing its now unwelcome military presence in Iraq .
With Abdul-Mahdi having rejected Trump ’ s “ oil for reconstruction ” proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems likely that the Trump administration would default to so-called “ gangster diplomacy ” tactics to pressure Iraq ’ s government into accepting Trump ’ s deal , especially given the fact that China ’ s deal was a much better offer .
While Trump demanded half of Iraq ’ s oil revenue in exchange for completing reconstruction projects ( according to Abdul-Mahdi ) , the deal that was signed between Iraq and China would see around 20 percent of Iraq ’ s oil revenue go to China in exchange for reconstruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq ’ s oil revenue , there are many reasons for the Trump administration to feel threatened by China ’ s recent dealings in Iraq .
The Iraq-China oil deal – a prelude to something more ?
When Abdul-Mahdi ’ s delegation traveled to Beijing last September , the “ oil for reconstruction ” deal was only one of eight total agreements that were established .
These agreements cover a range of areas , including financial , commercial , security , reconstruction , communication , culture , education and foreign affairs in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal is by far the most significant .
Per the agreement , Chinese firms will work on various reconstruction projects in exchange for roughly 20 percent of Iraq ’ s oil exports , approximately 100,00 barrels per day , for a period of 20 years .
According to Al-Monitor , Abdul-Mahdi had the following to say about the deal : “ We agreed [ with Beijing ] to set up a joint investment fund , which the oil money will finance , ” adding that the agreement prohibits China from monopolizing projects inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation with international firms .
The agreement is similar to one negotiated between Iraq and China in 2015 when Abdul-Mahdi was serving as Iraq ’ s oil minister .
That year , Iraq joined China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative in a deal that also involved exchanging oil for investment , development and construction projects and saw China awarded several projects as a result .
In a notable similarity to recent events , that deal was put on hold due to “ political and security tensions ” caused by unrest and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is until Abdul-Mahdi saw Iraq rejoin the initiative again late last year through the agreements his government signed with China last September .
Notably , after recent tensions between the U.S. and Iraq over the assassination of Soleimani and the U.S. ’ subsequent refusal to remove its troops from Iraq despite parliament ’ s demands , Iraq quietly announced that it would dramatically increase its oil exports to China to triple the amount established in the deal signed in September .
Given Abdul-Mahdi ’ s recent claims about the true forces behind Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s threats against him being directly related to his dealings with China , the move appears to be a not-so-veiled signal from Abdul-Mahdi to Washington that he plans to deepen Iraq ’ s partnership with China , at least for as long as he remains in his caretaker role .
Iraq ’ s decision to dramatically increase its oil exports to China came just one day after the U.S. government threatened to cut off Iraq ’ s access to its central bank account , currently held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 35 billion in Iraqi oil revenue .
The account was set up after the U.S. invaded and began occupying Iraq in 2003 and Iraq currently removes between $ 1-2 billion per month to cover essential government expenses .
Losing access to its oil revenue stored in that account would lead to the “ collapse ” of Iraq ’ s government , according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to AFP .
Though Trump publicly promised to rebuke Iraq for the expulsion of U.S. troops via sanctions , the threat to cut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the NY Federal Reserve Bank was delivered privately and directly to the Prime Minister , adding further credibility to Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims that Trump ’ s most aggressive attempts at pressuring Iraq ’ s government are made in private and directed towards the country ’ s Prime Minister .
Though Trump ’ s push this time was about preventing the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraq , his reasons for doing so may also be related to concerns about China ’ s growing foothold in the region .
Indeed , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iraqi oil revenue ( 50 percent ) to China ’ s counteroffer of 20 percent , the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq may see American troops replaced with their Chinese counterparts as well , according to Tom Luongo .
“ All of this is about the U.S. maintaining the fiction that it needs to stay in Iraq…So , China moving in there is the moment where they get their toe hold for the Belt and Road [ Initiative ] , ” Luongo argued .
“ That helps to strengthen the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and obviating the need for the Americans to stay there .
At some point , China will have assets on the ground that they are going to want to defend militarily in the event of any major crisis .
This brings us to the next thing we know , that Mahdi and the Chinese ambassador discussed that very thing in the wake of the Soleimani killing.
” Indeed , according to news reports , Zhang Yao — China ’ s ambassador to Iraq — “ conveyed Beijing ’ s readiness to provide military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request it soon after Soleimani ’ s assassination .
Yao made the offer a day after Iraq ’ s parliament voted to expel American troops from the country .
Though it is currently unknown how Abdul-Mahdi responded to the offer , the timing likely caused no shortage of concern among the Trump administration about its rapidly waning influence in Iraq .
“ You can see what ’ s coming here , ” Luongo told MintPress of the recent Chinese offer to Iraq , “ China , Russia and Iran are trying to cleave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is feeling very threatened by this.
” Russia is also playing a role in the current scenario as Iraq initiated talks with Moscow regarding the possible purchase of one of its air defense systems last September , the same month that Iraq signed eight deals , including the oil deal with China .
Then , in the wake of Soleimani ’ s death , Russia again offered the air defense systems to Iraq to allow them to better defend their air space .
In the past , the U.S. has threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they purchase Russian air defense systems as opposed to those manufactured by U.S. companies .
The U.S. ’ efforts to curb China ’ s growing influence and presence in Iraq amid these new strategic partnerships and agreements are limited , however , as the U.S. is increasingly relying on China as part of its Iran policy , specifically in its goal of reducing Iranian oil export to zero .
China remains Iran ’ s main crude oil and condensate importer , even after it reduced its imports of Iranian oil significantly following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is now attempting to pressure China to stop buying Iranian oil completely or face sanctions while also attempting to privately sabotage the China-Iraq oil deal .
It is highly unlikely China will concede to the U.S. on both , if any , of those fronts , meaning the U.S. may be forced to choose which policy front ( Iran “ containment ” vs. Iraq ’ s oil dealings with China ) it values more in the coming weeks and months .
Furthermore , the recent signing of the “ phase one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential facet of the U.S. ’ increasingly complicated relationship with Iraq ’ s oil sector given that the trade deal involves selling U.S. oil and gas to China at very low cost , suggesting that the Trump administration may also see the Iraq-China oil deal result in Iraq emerging as a potential competitor for the U.S. in selling cheap oil to China , the world ’ s top oil importer .
The Petrodollar and the Phantom of the Petroyuan In his televised statements last week following Iran ’ s military response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted that the U.S. ’ Middle East policy is no longer being directed by America ’ s vast oil requirements .
He stated specifically that : Yet , given the centrality of the recent Iraq-China oil deal in guiding some of the Trump administration ’ s recent Middle East policy moves , this appears not to be the case .
The distinction may lie in the fact that , while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle East , it still very much needs to continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower .
Indeed , even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil , the petrodollar system — first forged in the 1970s — requires that the U.S. maintains enough control over the global oil trade so that the world ’ s largest oil exporters , Iraq among them , continue to sell their oil in dollars .
Were Iraq to sell oil in another currency , or trade oil for services , as it plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inked deal , a significant portion of Iraqi oil would cease to generate a demand for dollars , violating the key tenet of the petrodollar system .
As Kei Pritsker and Cale Holmes noted in an article last year for MintPress : Thus , the use of the petrodollar has created a system whereby U.S. control of oil sales of the largest oil exporters is necessary , not just to buttress the dollar , but also to support its global military presence .
Therefore , it is unsurprising that the issue of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of Iraq ’ s push for oil independence against U.S. wishes have become intertwined .
Notably , one of the architects of the petrodollar system and the man who infamously described U.S. soldiers as “ dumb , stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy ” , former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger , has been advising Trump and informing his China policy since 2016 .
This take was also expressed by economist Michael Hudson , who recently noted that U.S. access to oil , dollarization and U.S. military strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s recent Iraq policy is intended “ to escalate America ’ s presence in Iraq to keep control of the region ’ s oil reserves , ” and , as Hudson says , “ to back Saudi Arabia ’ s Wahabi troops ( ISIS , Al Qaeda in Iraq , Al Nusra and other divisions of what are actually America ’ s foreign legion ) to support U.S. control of Near Eastern oil as a buttress of the U.S. dollar.
” Hudson further asserts that it was Qassem Soleimani ’ s efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expense of U.S. imperial ambitions that served one of the key motives behind his assassination .
Hudson adds that “ …U.S .
neocons feared Suleimani ’ s plan to help Iraq assert control of its oil and withstand the terrorist attacks supported by U.S. and Saudi ’ s on Iraq .
That is what made his assassination an immediate drive.
” While other factors — such as pressure from U.S. allies such as Israel — also played a factor in the decision to kill Soleimani , the decision to assassinate him on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to meet with Abdul-Mahdi in a diplomatic role suggests that the underlying tensions caused by Iraq ’ s push for oil independence and its oil deal with China did play a factor in the timing of his assassination .
It also served as a threat to Abdul-Mahdi , who has claimed that the U.S. threatened to kill both him and his defense minister just weeks prior over tensions directly related to the push for independence of Iraq ’ s oil sector from the U.S .
It appears that the ever-present role of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East remains unchanged .
The petrodollar has long been a driving factor behind the U.S. ’ policy towards Iraq specifically , as one of the key triggers for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was Saddam Hussein ’ s decision to sell Iraqi oil in Euros opposed to dollars beginning in the year 2000 .
Just weeks before the invasion began , Hussein boasted that Iraq ’ s Euro-based oil revenue account was earning a higher interest rate than it would have been if it had continued to sell its oil in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil exporters that the petrodollar system was only really benefiting the United States at their own expense .
Beyond current efforts to stave off Iraq ’ s oil independence and keep its oil trade aligned with the U.S. , the fact that the U.S. is now seeking to limit China ’ s ever-growing role in Iraq ’ s oil sector is also directly related to China ’ s publicly known efforts to create its own direct competitor to the petrodollar , the petroyuan .
Since 2017 , China has made its plans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the petrodollar — no secret , particularly after China eclipsed the U.S. as the world ’ s largest importer of oil .
As CNBC noted at the time : If the U.S. continues on its current path and pushes Iraq further into the arms of China and other U.S. rival states , it goes without saying that Iraq — now a part of China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative — may soon favor a petroyuan system over a petrodollar system , particularly as the current U.S. administration threatens to hold Iraq ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies Washington finds unfavorable .
It could also explain why President Trump is so concerned about China ’ s growing foothold in Iraq , since it risks causing not only the end of the U.S. military hegemony in the country but could also lead to major trouble for the petrodollar system and the U.S. ’ position as a global financial power .
Trump ’ s policy aimed at stopping China and Iraq ’ s growing ties is clearly having the opposite effect , showing that this administration ’ s “ gangster diplomacy ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by countries like China and Russia all the more attractive .
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile .
She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research , EcoWatch , the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire , among others .
She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism .

Since the U.S. killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis earlier this month, the official narrative has held that their deaths were necessary to prevent a vague, yet allegedly imminent, threat of violence towards Americans, though President Trump has since claimed whether or not Soleimani or his Iraqi allies posed an imminent threat “doesn’t really matter.”
While the situation between Iran, Iraq and the U.S. appears to have de-escalated substantially, at least for now, it is worth revisiting the lead-up to the recent U.S.-Iraq/Iran tensions up to the Trump-mandated killing of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in order to understand one of the most overlooked yet relevant drivers behind Trump’s current policy with respect to Iraq: preventing China from expanding its foothold in the Middle East. Indeed, it has been alleged that even the timing of Soleimani’s assassination was directly related to his diplomatic role in Iraq and his push to help Iraq secure its oil independence, beginning with the implementation of a new massive oil deal with China.
While recent rhetoric in the media has dwelled on the extent of Iran’s influence in Iraq, China’s recent dealings with Iraq — particularly in its oil sector — are to blame for much of what has transpired in Iraq in recent months, at least according to Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is currently serving in a caretaker role.
Much of the U.S. pressure exerted on Iraq’s government with respect to China has reportedly taken place covertly and behind closed doors, keeping the Trump administration’s concerns over China’s growing ties to Iraq largely out of public view, perhaps over concerns that a public scuffle could exacerbate the U.S.-China “trade war” and endanger efforts to resolve it. Yet, whatever the reasons may be, evidence strongly suggests that the U.S. is equally concerned about China’s presence in Iraq as it is with Iran’s. This is because China has the means and the ability to dramatically undermine not only the U.S.’ control over Iraq’s oil sector but the entire petrodollar system on which the U.S.’ status as both a financial and military superpower directly depends.
Behind the curtain, a different narrative for Iraq-US Tensions
Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi gave a series of remarks on January 5, during a parliamentary session that received surprisingly little media attention. During the session, which also saw Iraq’s Parliament approve the removal of all foreign (including American) troops from the country, Abdul-Mahdi made a series of claims about the lead-up to the recent situation that placed Iraq at the heart of spiking U.S.-Iran tensions.
During that session, only part of Abdul-Mahdi’s statements were broadcast on television, after the Iraqi Speaker of the House — Mohammed Al-Halbousi, who has a close relationship with Washington — requested the video feed be cut. Al-Halbousi oddly attended the parliamentary session even though it was boycotted by his allied Sunni and Kurdish representatives.
After the feed was cut, MPs who were present wrote down Abdul-Mahdi’s remarks, which were then given to the Arabic news outlet Ida’at. Per that transcript, Abdul-Mahdi stated that:
The Americans are the ones who destroyed the country and wreaked havoc on it. They have refused to finish building the electrical system and infrastructure projects. They have bargained for the reconstruction of Iraq in exchange for Iraq giving up 50% of oil imports. So, I refused and decided to go to China and concluded an important and strategic agreement with it. Today, Trump is trying to cancel this important agreement.”
Abdul-Mahdi continued his remarks, noting that pressure from the Trump administration over his negotiations and subsequent dealings with China grew substantially over time, even resulting in death threats to himself and his defense minister:
After my return from China, Trump called me and asked me to cancel the agreement, so I also refused, and he threatened [that there would be] massive demonstrations to topple me. Indeed, the demonstrations started and then Trump called, threatening to escalate in the event of non-cooperation and responding to his wishes, whereby a third party [presumed to be mercenaries or U.S. soldiers] would target both the demonstrators and security forces and kill them from atop the highest buildings and the US embassy in an attempt to pressure me and submit to his wishes and cancel the China agreement.” “I did not respond and submitted my resignation and the Americans still insist to this day on canceling the China agreement. When the defense minister said that those killing the demonstrators was a third party, Trump called me immediately and physically threatened myself and the defense minister in the event that there was more talk about this third party.”
Very few English language outlets reported on Abdul-Mahdi’s comments. Tom Luongo, a Florida-based Independent Analyst and publisher of The Gold Goats ‘n Guns Newsletter, told MintPress that the likely reasons for the “surprising” media silence over Abdul-Mahdi’s claims were because “It never really made it out into official channels…” due to the cutting of the video feed during Iraq’s Parliamentary session and due to the fact that “it’s very inconvenient and the media — since Trump is doing what they want him to do, be belligerent with Iran, protected Israel’s interests there.”
“They aren’t going to contradict him on that if he’s playing ball,” Luongo added, before continuing that the media would nonetheless “hold onto it for future reference….If this comes out for real, they’ll use it against him later if he tries to leave Iraq.” “Everything in Washington is used as leverage,” he added.
Given the lack of media coverage and the cutting of the video feed of Abdul-Mahdi’s full remarks, it is worth pointing out that the narrative he laid out in his censored speech not only fits with the timeline of recent events he discusses but also the tactics known to have been employed behind closed doors by the Trump administration, particularly after Mike Pompeo left the CIA to become Secretary of State.
For instance, Abdul-Mahdi’s delegation to China ended on September 24, with the protests against his government that Trump reportedly threatened to start on October 1. Reports of a “third side” firing on Iraqi protesters were picked up by major media outlets at the time, such as in this BBC report which stated:
Reports say the security forces opened fire, but another account says unknown gunmen were responsible….a source in Karbala told the BBC that one of the dead was a guard at a nearby Shia shrine who happened to be passing by. The source also said the origin of the gunfire was unknown and it had targeted both the protesters and security forces. (emphasis added)”
U.S.-backed protests in other countries, such as in Ukraine in 2014, also saw evidence of a “third side” shooting both protesters and security forces alike.
After six weeks of intense protests, Abdul-Mahdi submitted his resignation on November 29, just a few days after Iraq’s Foreign Minister praised the new deals, including the “oil for reconstruction” deal, that had been signed with China. Abdul-Mahdi has since stayed on as Prime Minister in a caretaker role until Parliament decides on his replacement.
Abdul-Mahdi’s claims of the covert pressure by the Trump administration are buttressed by the use of similar tactics against Ecuador, where, in July 2018, a U.S. delegation at the United Nations threatened the nation with punitive trade measures and the withdrawal of military aid if Ecuador moved forward with the introduction of a UN resolution to “protect, promote and support breastfeeding.”
The New York Times reported at the time that the U.S. delegation was seeking to promote the interests of infant formula manufacturers. If the U.S. delegation is willing to use such pressure on nations for promoting breastfeeding over infant formula, it goes without saying that such behind-closed-doors pressure would be significantly more intense if a much more lucrative resource, e.g. oil, were involved.
Regarding Abdul-Mahdi’s claims, Luongo told MintPress that it is also worth considering that it could have been anyone in the Trump administration making threats to Abdul-Mahdi, not necessarily Trump himself. “What I won’t say directly is that I don’t know it was Trump at the other end of the phone calls. Mahdi, it is to his best advantage politically to blame everything on Trump. It could have been Mike Pompeo or Gina Haspel talking to Abdul-Mahdi… It could have been anyone, it most likely would be someone with plausible deniability….This [Mahdi’s claims] sounds credible… I firmly believe Trump is capable of making these threats but I don’t think Trump would make those threats directly like that, but it would absolutely be consistent with U.S. policy.”
Luongo also argued that the current tensions between U.S. and Iraqi leadership preceded the oil deal between Iraq and China by several weeks, “All of this starts with Prime Minister Mahdi starting the process of opening up the Iraq-Syria border crossing and that was announced in August. Then, the Israeli air attacks happened in September to try and stop that from happening, attacks on PMU forces on the border crossing along with the ammo dump attacks near Baghdad… This drew the Iraqis’ ire… Mahdi then tried to close the air space over Iraq, but how much of that he can enforce is a big question.”
As to why it would be to Mahdi’s advantage to blame Trump, Luongo stated that Mahdi “can make edicts all day long, but, in reality, how much can he actually restrain the U.S. or the Israelis from doing anything? Except for shame, diplomatic shame… To me, it [Mahdi’s claims] seems perfectly credible because, during all of this, Trump is probably or someone else is shaking him [Mahdi] down for the reconstruction of the oil fields [in Iraq]…Trump has explicitly stated “we want the oil.”’
As Luongo noted, Trump’s interest in the U.S. obtaining a significant share of Iraqi oil revenue is hardly a secret. Just last March, Trump asked Abdul-Mahdi “How about the oil?” at the end of a meeting at the White House, prompting Abdul-Mahdi to ask “What do you mean?” To which Trump responded “Well, we did a lot, we did a lot over there, we spent trillions over there, and a lot of people have been talking about the oil,” which was widely interpreted as Trump asking for part of Iraq’s oil revenue in exchange for the steep costs of the U.S.’ continuing its now unwelcome military presence in Iraq.
With Abdul-Mahdi having rejected Trump’s “oil for reconstruction” proposal in favor of China’s, it seems likely that the Trump administration would default to so-called “gangster diplomacy” tactics to pressure Iraq’s government into accepting Trump’s deal, especially given the fact that China’s deal was a much better offer. While Trump demanded half of Iraq’s oil revenue in exchange for completing reconstruction projects (according to Abdul-Mahdi), the deal that was signed between Iraq and China would see around 20 percent of Iraq’s oil revenue go to China in exchange for reconstruction. Aside from the potential loss in Iraq’s oil revenue, there are many reasons for the Trump administration to feel threatened by China’s recent dealings in Iraq.
The Iraq-China oil deal – a prelude to something more?
When Abdul-Mahdi’s delegation traveled to Beijing last September, the “oil for reconstruction” deal was only one of eight total agreements that were established. These agreements cover a range of areas, including financial, commercial, security, reconstruction, communication, culture, education and foreign affairs in addition to oil. Yet, the oil deal is by far the most significant.
Per the agreement, Chinese firms will work on various reconstruction projects in exchange for roughly 20 percent of Iraq’s oil exports, approximately 100,00 barrels per day, for a period of 20 years. According to Al-Monitor, Abdul-Mahdi had the following to say about the deal: “We agreed [with Beijing] to set up a joint investment fund, which the oil money will finance,” adding that the agreement prohibits China from monopolizing projects inside Iraq, forcing Bejing to work in cooperation with international firms.
The agreement is similar to one negotiated between Iraq and China in 2015 when Abdul-Mahdi was serving as Iraq’s oil minister. That year, Iraq joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a deal that also involved exchanging oil for investment, development and construction projects and saw China awarded several projects as a result. In a notable similarity to recent events, that deal was put on hold due to “political and security tensions” caused by unrest and the surge of ISIS in Iraq, that is until Abdul-Mahdi saw Iraq rejoin the initiative again late last year through the agreements his government signed with China last September.
Notably, after recent tensions between the U.S. and Iraq over the assassination of Soleimani and the U.S.’ subsequent refusal to remove its troops from Iraq despite parliament’s demands, Iraq quietly announced that it would dramatically increase its oil exports to China to triple the amount established in the deal signed in September. Given Abdul-Mahdi’s recent claims about the true forces behind Iraq’s recent protests and Trump’s threats against him being directly related to his dealings with China, the move appears to be a not-so-veiled signal from Abdul-Mahdi to Washington that he plans to deepen Iraq’s partnership with China, at least for as long as he remains in his caretaker role.
Iraq’s decision to dramatically increase its oil exports to China came just one day after the U.S. government threatened to cut off Iraq’s access to its central bank account, currently held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an account that currently holds $35 billion in Iraqi oil revenue. The account was set up after the U.S. invaded and began occupying Iraq in 2003 and Iraq currently removes between $1-2 billion per month to cover essential government expenses. Losing access to its oil revenue stored in that account would lead to the “collapse” of Iraq’s government, according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to AFP.
Though Trump publicly promised to rebuke Iraq for the expulsion of U.S. troops via sanctions, the threat to cut off Iraq’s access to its account at the NY Federal Reserve Bank was delivered privately and directly to the Prime Minister, adding further credibility to Abdul-Mahdi’s claims that Trump’s most aggressive attempts at pressuring Iraq’s government are made in private and directed towards the country’s Prime Minister.
Though Trump’s push this time was about preventing the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraq, his reasons for doing so may also be related to concerns about China’s growing foothold in the region. Indeed, while Trump has now lost his desired share of Iraqi oil revenue (50 percent) to China’s counteroffer of 20 percent, the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq may see American troops replaced with their Chinese counterparts as well, according to Tom Luongo.
“All of this is about the U.S. maintaining the fiction that it needs to stay in Iraq…So, China moving in there is the moment where they get their toe hold for the Belt and Road [Initiative],” Luongo argued. “That helps to strengthen the economic relationship between Iraq, Iran and China and obviating the need for the Americans to stay there. At some point, China will have assets on the ground that they are going to want to defend militarily in the event of any major crisis. This brings us to the next thing we know, that Mahdi and the Chinese ambassador discussed that very thing in the wake of the Soleimani killing.”
Indeed, according to news reports, Zhang Yao — China’s ambassador to Iraq — “conveyed Beijing’s readiness to provide military assistance” should Iraq’s government request it soon after Soleimani’s assassination. Yao made the offer a day after Iraq’s parliament voted to expel American troops from the country. Though it is currently unknown how Abdul-Mahdi responded to the offer, the timing likely caused no shortage of concern among the Trump administration about its rapidly waning influence in Iraq. “You can see what’s coming here,” Luongo told MintPress of the recent Chinese offer to Iraq, “China, Russia and Iran are trying to cleave Iraq away from the United States and the U.S. is feeling very threatened by this.”
Russia is also playing a role in the current scenario as Iraq initiated talks with Moscow regarding the possible purchase of one of its air defense systems last September, the same month that Iraq signed eight deals, including the oil deal with China. Then, in the wake of Soleimani’s death, Russia again offered the air defense systems to Iraq to allow them to better defend their air space. In the past, the U.S. has threatened allied countries with sanctions and other measures if they purchase Russian air defense systems as opposed to those manufactured by U.S. companies.
The U.S.’ efforts to curb China’s growing influence and presence in Iraq amid these new strategic partnerships and agreements are limited, however, as the U.S. is increasingly relying on China as part of its Iran policy, specifically in its goal of reducing Iranian oil export to zero. China remains Iran’s main crude oil and condensate importer, even after it reduced its imports of Iranian oil significantly following U.S. pressure last year. Yet, the U.S. is now attempting to pressure China to stop buying Iranian oil completely or face sanctions while also attempting to privately sabotage the China-Iraq oil deal. It is highly unlikely China will concede to the U.S. on both, if any, of those fronts, meaning the U.S. may be forced to choose which policy front (Iran “containment” vs. Iraq’s oil dealings with China) it values more in the coming weeks and months.
Furthermore, the recent signing of the “phase one” trade deal with China revealed another potential facet of the U.S.’ increasingly complicated relationship with Iraq’s oil sector given that the trade deal involves selling U.S. oil and gas to China at very low cost, suggesting that the Trump administration may also see the Iraq-China oil deal result in Iraq emerging as a potential competitor for the U.S. in selling cheap oil to China, the world’s top oil importer.
The Petrodollar and the Phantom of the Petroyuan
In his televised statements last week following Iran’s military response to the U.S. assassination of General Soleimani, Trump insisted that the U.S.’ Middle East policy is no longer being directed by America’s vast oil requirements. He stated specifically that:
Over the last three years, under my leadership, our economy is stronger than ever before and America has achieved energy independence. These historic accomplishments changed our strategic priorities. These are accomplishments that nobody thought were possible. And options in the Middle East became available. We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil. (emphasis added)”
Yet, given the centrality of the recent Iraq-China oil deal in guiding some of the Trump administration’s recent Middle East policy moves, this appears not to be the case. The distinction may lie in the fact that, while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, it still very much needs to continue to dominate how oil is traded and sold on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower.
Indeed, even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil, the petrodollar system — first forged in the 1970s — requires that the U.S. maintains enough control over the global oil trade so that the world’s largest oil exporters, Iraq among them, continue to sell their oil in dollars. Were Iraq to sell oil in another currency, or trade oil for services, as it plans to do with China per the recently inked deal, a significant portion of Iraqi oil would cease to generate a demand for dollars, violating the key tenet of the petrodollar system.
As Kei Pritsker and Cale Holmes noted in an article last year for MintPress:
The takeaway from the petrodollar phenomenon is that as long as countries need oil, they will need the dollar. As long as countries demand dollars, the U.S. can continue to go into massive amounts of debt to fund its network of global military bases, Wall Street bailouts, nuclear missiles, and tax cuts for the rich.”
Thus, the use of the petrodollar has created a system whereby U.S. control of oil sales of the largest oil exporters is necessary, not just to buttress the dollar, but also to support its global military presence. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the issue of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and the issue of Iraq’s push for oil independence against U.S. wishes have become intertwined. Notably, one of the architects of the petrodollar system and the man who infamously described U.S. soldiers as “dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy”, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, has been advising Trump and informing his China policy since 2016.
This take was also expressed by economist Michael Hudson, who recently noted that U.S. access to oil, dollarization and U.S. military strategy are intricately interwoven and that Trump’s recent Iraq policy is intended “to escalate America’s presence in Iraq to keep control of the region’s oil reserves,” and, as Hudson says, “to back Saudi Arabia’s Wahabi troops (ISIS, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Al Nusra and other divisions of what are actually America’s foreign legion) to support U.S. control of Near Eastern oil as a buttress of the U.S. dollar.”
Hudson further asserts that it was Qassem Soleimani’s efforts to promote Iraq’s oil independence at the expense of U.S. imperial ambitions that served one of the key motives behind his assassination.
America opposed General Suleimani above all because he was fighting against ISIS and other U.S.-backed terrorists in their attempt to break up Syria and replace Assad’s regime with a set of U.S.-compliant local leaders – the old British “divide and conquer” ploy. On occasion, Suleimani had cooperated with U.S. troops in fighting ISIS groups that got “out of line” meaning the U.S. party line. But every indication is that he was in Iraq to work with that government seeking to regain control of the oil fields that President Trump has bragged so loudly about grabbing. (emphasis added)”
Hudson adds that “…U.S. neocons feared Suleimani’s plan to help Iraq assert control of its oil and withstand the terrorist attacks supported by U.S. and Saudi’s on Iraq. That is what made his assassination an immediate drive.”
While other factors — such as pressure from U.S. allies such as Israel — also played a factor in the decision to kill Soleimani, the decision to assassinate him on Iraqi soil just hours before he was set to meet with Abdul-Mahdi in a diplomatic role suggests that the underlying tensions caused by Iraq’s push for oil independence and its oil deal with China did play a factor in the timing of his assassination. It also served as a threat to Abdul-Mahdi, who has claimed that the U.S. threatened to kill both him and his defense minister just weeks prior over tensions directly related to the push for independence of Iraq’s oil sector from the U.S.
It appears that the ever-present role of the petrodollar in guiding U.S. policy in the Middle East remains unchanged. The petrodollar has long been a driving factor behind the U.S.’ policy towards Iraq specifically, as one of the key triggers for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was Saddam Hussein’s decision to sell Iraqi oil in Euros opposed to dollars beginning in the year 2000. Just weeks before the invasion began, Hussein boasted that Iraq’s Euro-based oil revenue account was earning a higher interest rate than it would have been if it had continued to sell its oil in dollars, an apparent signal to other oil exporters that the petrodollar system was only really benefiting the United States at their own expense.
Beyond current efforts to stave off Iraq’s oil independence and keep its oil trade aligned with the U.S., the fact that the U.S. is now seeking to limit China’s ever-growing role in Iraq’s oil sector is also directly related to China’s publicly known efforts to create its own direct competitor to the petrodollar, the petroyuan.
Since 2017, China has made its plans for the petroyuan — a direct competitor to the petrodollar — no secret, particularly after China eclipsed the U.S. as the world’s largest importer of oil. As CNBC noted at the time:
The new strategy is to enlist the energy markets’ help: Beijing may introduce a new way to price oil in coming months — but unlike the contracts based on the U.S. dollar that currently dominate global markets, this benchmark would use China’s own currency. If there’s widespread adoption, as the Chinese hope, then that will mark a step toward challenging the greenback’s status as the world’s most powerful currency….The plan is to price oil in yuan using a gold-backed futures contract in Shanghai, but the road will be long and arduous.”
If the U.S. continues on its current path and pushes Iraq further into the arms of China and other U.S. rival states, it goes without saying that Iraq — now a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative — may soon favor a petroyuan system over a petrodollar system, particularly as the current U.S. administration threatens to hold Iraq’s central bank account hostage for pursuing policies Washington finds unfavorable.
It could also explain why President Trump is so concerned about China’s growing foothold in Iraq, since it risks causing not only the end of the U.S. military hegemony in the country but could also lead to major trouble for the petrodollar system and the U.S.’ position as a global financial power. Trump’s policy aimed at stopping China and Iraq’s growing ties is clearly having the opposite effect, showing that this administration’s “gangster diplomacy” only serves to make the alternatives offered by countries like China and Russia all the more attractive.
Feature photo | Graphic by Claudio Cabrera for MintPress News
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile. She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research, EcoWatch, the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire, among others. She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism.


mintpressnews--2020-01-20--Bolivia: As Elections Near, US-Backed Interim Gov’t Mobilizes Military, Arrests Opposition Leaders

Wednesday , January 22 marks the day that Jeanine Añez is set to stand down as “ interim ” President of Bolivia , beginning the process for fresh elections set for May 3 .
Añez came to power in November , following a U.S.-backed coup that deposed the Movement to Socialism ’ s ( MAS ) Evo Morales .
However , she is certainly not acting as if she intends to relinquish her power , let alone move towards new elections .
Instead , she has sent the military , replete with tanks and other armored fighting vehicles , into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country .
MintPress News ’ Ollie Vargas was on the scene in the center of the capital La Paz , where he filmed hundreds of armed soldiers performing drills outside the Cathedral of St. Francis and dozens of military vehicles circling the city , sirens on and guns drawn .
“ The purpose of that is to intimidate people ahead of possible protests against the coup on the 22nd of January…This was a show of force saying you are not going to be able to march what you want .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if marches do arrive in the city .
It is about intimidating the people , ” he said in an interview with TeleSUR English ; “ The point was to be a show of force , rather than itself be an act of repression .
It was there to show what repression could come.
” The military played a leading role in the November coup , demanding Morales resign and handpicking Añez as his successor .
The police , too , were crucial , rebelling against Morales and later repressing protests from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducting massacres in the towns of Sacaba and Senkata .
“ It seems like the police is following the instructions of the far-right in Bolivia , ” said United Nations Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas .
Last week , Añez rubberstamped a pay rise for the country ’ s police , bringing their salaries up to that of the military ’ s .
For an interim government , the Añez administration has certainly made some sweeping policy changes , both at home and abroad .
Internally , it has begun a mass privatization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s considerable natural resources .
Since November it has been at war with the press , launching a crackdown on all media hostile to it , closing down multiple TV stations , with critical journalists disappearing or being found dead in suspicious circumstances .
It has also set up new SWAT-like secret police battalions aimed at suppressing what is calls subversive voices , both domestic and foreign .
Añez has completely reoriented the country ’ s foreign policy , pulling out of multiple international and intercontinental organizations , expelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inviting the Israeli Defense Forces to train the Bolivian security services and closing its own anti-imperialist military school .
It has also moved far closer to the United States than previously , recognizing U.S.-backed figure Juan Guaidó as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela .
Earlier this month , a team from the U.S.-funded group USAID arrived in the country to advise the government on how to best conduct the upcoming election .
Given the U.S. ’ history in overthrowing heads of state across Latin America , the news has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thus , while many inside the country have voiced their concern over the suspension of democracy , no one is accusing the new government of being lazy or unambitious .
Under very difficult circumstances , the MAS party yesterday announced that its candidates for the May elections will be a ticket of Luis Arce Catacora for president and David Choquehuanca for vice-president .
MAS leaders met in neighboring Argentina due to the repression in their own country .
The location meant that a number of key figures accused of crimes by the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could not attend .
Arce , 58 , Western-educated and middle-class , was Minister of Finance under Morales in an era when Bolivia generated high and sustained economic growth .
Many see him as far from radical .
His running mate is David Choquehuanca , an indigenous activist from a peasant background .
He was Morales ’ longtime Foreign Minister and was also secretary of ALBA , an intercontinental organization Añez has recently pulled the country out of .
He is commonly seen as the driving force behind Bolivia ’ s anti-imperialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coup government .
Some will be disappointed that Andrónico Rodríguez , a charismatic indigenous 30-year-old union organizer groomed by Morales for a leadership position , was not chosen .
Whether those candidates will , until May , be able to remain in their positions – or even out of prison – is an open question .
Many MAS officials , including President Morales and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera , have been forced to flee the country or face arrest .
Another MAS leader , Walter Ferrufino was arrested this weekend as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the October election , Morales and the MAS gained 47 percent of the vote in the first round , enough to secure an overall victory .
In contrast , Añez ’ s party , the Democrat Social Movement , received four percent .
While all sides continue to behave as if a vote will take place in May , the absurdity of holding an election under the circumstances of a military takeover , where by far the most popular party is being repressed , means that there is a very real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 .

Wednesday, January 22 marks the day that Jeanine Añez is set to stand down as “interim” President of Bolivia, beginning the process for fresh elections set for May 3. Añez came to power in November, following a U.S.-backed coup that deposed the Movement to Socialism’s (MAS) Evo Morales. However, she is certainly not acting as if she intends to relinquish her power, let alone move towards new elections. Instead, she has sent the military, replete with tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, into the capital cities of all nine departments of the country.
8pm: The Bolivian military is riding about central La Paz with their guns out and sirens on. They're not going to an incident, the objective is to intimidate the population. pic.twitter.com/Fjpt6pmuNV — Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 17, 2020
MintPress News’ Ollie Vargas was on the scene in the center of the capital La Paz, where he filmed hundreds of armed soldiers performing drills outside the Cathedral of St. Francis and dozens of military vehicles circling the city, sirens on and guns drawn.
“The purpose of that is to intimidate people ahead of possible protests against the coup on the 22nd of January…This was a show of force saying you are not going to be able to march what you want. The military is preparing for a war-style operations if marches do arrive in the city. It is about intimidating the people,” he said in an interview with TeleSUR English; “The point was to be a show of force, rather than itself be an act of repression. It was there to show what repression could come.”
Huge mobilization of the Bolivian military in the center of La Paz, outside San Francisco cathedral. In six days, social movements will be protesting here against the coup. pic.twitter.com/CxUqdV44rv — Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 16, 2020
The military played a leading role in the November coup, demanding Morales resign and handpicking Añez as his successor. The police, too, were crucial, rebelling against Morales and later repressing protests from the country’s indigenous majority, even conducting massacres in the towns of Sacaba and Senkata. “It seems like the police is following the instructions of the far-right in Bolivia,” said United Nations Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas. Last week, Añez rubberstamped a pay rise for the country’s police, bringing their salaries up to that of the military’s.
For an interim government, the Añez administration has certainly made some sweeping policy changes, both at home and abroad. Internally, it has begun a mass privatization program aimed at conducting a fire sale of the country’s considerable natural resources. Since November it has been at war with the press, launching a crackdown on all media hostile to it, closing down multiple TV stations, with critical journalists disappearing or being found dead in suspicious circumstances. It has also set up new SWAT-like secret police battalions aimed at suppressing what is calls subversive voices, both domestic and foreign.
Añez has completely reoriented the country’s foreign policy, pulling out of multiple international and intercontinental organizations, expelling thousands of foreign nationals, recognizing Israel and inviting the Israeli Defense Forces to train the Bolivian security services and closing its own anti-imperialist military school.
It has also moved far closer to the United States than previously, recognizing U.S.-backed figure Juan Guaidó as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela. Earlier this month, a team from the U.S.-funded group USAID arrived in the country to advise the government on how to best conduct the upcoming election. Given the U.S.’ history in overthrowing heads of state across Latin America, the news has not been greeted with pleasure by all. Thus, while many inside the country have voiced their concern over the suspension of democracy, no one is accusing the new government of being lazy or unambitious.
The official candidates for Bolivia's Movement Towards Socialism: President: Luis Arce Catacora
Vice President: David Choquehuanca @MintPressNews pic.twitter.com/t86VRbbooT — Ollie Vargas (@OVargas52) January 19, 2020
MAS candidates forced to organize abroad
Under very difficult circumstances, the MAS party yesterday announced that its candidates for the May elections will be a ticket of Luis Arce Catacora for president and David Choquehuanca for vice-president. MAS leaders met in neighboring Argentina due to the repression in their own country. The location meant that a number of key figures accused of crimes by the new administration, including up-and-coming star Andrónico Rodríguez, could not attend. Arce, 58, Western-educated and middle-class, was Minister of Finance under Morales in an era when Bolivia generated high and sustained economic growth. Many see him as far from radical. His running mate is David Choquehuanca, an indigenous activist from a peasant background. He was Morales’ longtime Foreign Minister and was also secretary of ALBA, an intercontinental organization Añez has recently pulled the country out of. He is commonly seen as the driving force behind Bolivia’s anti-imperialist foreign policy, currently being dismantled by the coup government. Some will be disappointed that Andrónico Rodríguez, a charismatic indigenous 30-year-old union organizer groomed by Morales for a leadership position, was not chosen.
Whether those candidates will, until May, be able to remain in their positions – or even out of prison – is an open question. Many MAS officials, including President Morales and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera, have been forced to flee the country or face arrest. Another MAS leader, Walter Ferrufino was arrested this weekend as he was traveling to Argentina for the meeting.
In the October election, Morales and the MAS gained 47 percent of the vote in the first round, enough to secure an overall victory. In contrast, Añez’s party, the Democrat Social Movement, received four percent. While all sides continue to behave as if a vote will take place in May, the absurdity of holding an election under the circumstances of a military takeover, where by far the most popular party is being repressed, means that there is a very real possibility the proceedings end up lacking credibility.
Feature photo | Military police patrol the center of La Paz, Bolivia, Jan. 16, 2020. Juan Karita | 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--2020-01-20--India Puts Capital on Lockdown as Protests Against Discriminatory Laws Rage on

The protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) and National Registration Council ( NRC ) laws continue across India .
In response , the government of Narendra Modi has placed the capital Delhi under the National Security Act ( NSA ) ; legislation that allows any Indian to be detained for up to a year without charge or access to legal representation .
Late Friday night Delhi ’ s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal granted the power of preventative detention to the city ’ s police as the government has failed to neutralize widespread resistance to its controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 4 and have since spread to every state in India .
The response has been considerable .
The government has not released nationwide figures but 23 have been people killed and over 5,500 detained as of December 25 in Uttar Pradesh alone , a state bordering Delhi , home to India ’ s largest Muslim population .
The CAA allows for immigrants from neighboring Muslim-majority countries to achieve Indian citizenship more easily – if they are Hindu , Christian , Buddhist , Sikh or Jain .
But it explicitly prohibits Muslim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing the same thing .
It , therefore , constitutes a sharp reversal of the country ’ s tradition of secular republicanism .
Meanwhile , the NRC is a newly established body that determines Indian citizenship .
It can demand of any Indian that they provide extensive documentation of their ancestors ’ birthplaces – something most of India ’ s 1.3 billion inhabitants will likely be unable to do .
As a consequence , Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) now have the ability to question and strip the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of large numbers of people at a time , making them stateless .
The NRC has already been used in the state of Assam , where nearly two million people – half of them Muslim – have had their citizenship revoked .
Many of the newly criminalized “ illegal immigrants ” will be housed in huge detention centers resembling those on the U.S.-Mexico border .
Despite the potential for serious consequences from the capital ’ s police , Delhi women have led a spontaneous 24/7 protest – called the Shaheen Bagh – for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all over the country to set up shop at the encampment in southeastern Delhi .
Similar occupations have popped up in other cities .
With the new NSA decree , police will be empowered to take far more forceful action against protestors if they so desire .
The protests have become a popular place for artists and musicians , as young people join the revolt ; while Muslims are particularly prevalent , people from all faiths have joined .
There are also vigils outside Delhi ’ s Jama Masjid , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the anniversary of statesman Mahatma Gandhi ’ s final hunger strike , a large crowd gathered outside the mosque pledging to uphold the secular constitution and protect the Muslim community from further attacks from the government .
Gandhi ended his final hunger fast on January 18 , 1948 , after Hindu extremist groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ) – a group Prime Minister Modi is a member of – agreed to end their campaign of communal violence against Muslims .
Hindu extremists assassinated Gandhi later that month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws “ shatter the promises made in that declaration.
” “ For Gandhi , India belonged to all .
He would have found the idea of linking citizenship to religion abhorrent , ” they argue .
The Shaheen Bagh has become a metaphor for the resistance against Modi ’ s attempts to move India away from its secular tradition into a Hindu supremacist state .
As one writer put it , “ It ’ s not just about saving Indian Muslims .
It ’ s about saving India.
” There is , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policies among India ’ s Hindu community , who constitute over 80 percent of the country ’ s population .
Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 after the collapse in support for the once-dominant Congress Party .
And in the April-May elections last year the BJP swept the country , winning 303 of the 545 seats in the Lok Sabha , India ’ s lower house of parliament , a remarkable achievement in a federated , multi-party subcontinent where nearly forty parties won seats .
Modi is also widely seen , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who oversaw the 2002 Gujarat riots , where over a thousand Muslims were slaughtered in communal violence reminiscent of Gandhi ’ s era .
In December , Indian intellectual Vijay Prashad described Modi ’ s ideology as a mixture of fascism and hard neoliberal economics , combining Hindu nationalism with a package of privatization of state resources .
Despite substantial economic growth , India ’ s working class has seen little to no rise in standards of living in decades , leading to rapidly expanding economic inequality .
Without an explanation from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementing the privatization process , the BJP has been able to successfully focus the Hindu majority ’ s discontent onto ethnic minorities and immigrants , particularly Muslims , even as they carry out largely the same economic agenda as Congress did .
Earlier this month , an estimated quarter-billion Indians went on strike demanding better wages and working conditions .
While the Modi government may have the seats in parliament to push through any legislation it wants , it does not mean that those opposed to it will take his plans lightly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flags and placards during a rally to protest against the new citizenship law outside St. Pauls ’ Cathedral church in Kolkata , India , Jan. 20 , 2020 .
Bikas Das | 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Registration Council (NRC) laws continue across India. In response, the government of Narendra Modi has placed the capital Delhi under the National Security Act (NSA); legislation that allows any Indian to be detained for up to a year without charge or access to legal representation.
Late Friday night Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal granted the power of preventative detention to the city’s police as the government has failed to neutralize widespread resistance to its controversial new decrees. The protests started on December 4 and have since spread to every state in India. The response has been considerable. The government has not released nationwide figures but 23 have been people killed and over 5,500 detained as of December 25 in Uttar Pradesh alone, a state bordering Delhi, home to India’s largest Muslim population.
The CAA allows for immigrants from neighboring Muslim-majority countries to achieve Indian citizenship more easily – if they are Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain. But it explicitly prohibits Muslim, transgender, atheist and lower-caste immigrants from doing the same thing. It, therefore, constitutes a sharp reversal of the country’s tradition of secular republicanism.
Meanwhile, the NRC is a newly established body that determines Indian citizenship. It can demand of any Indian that they provide extensive documentation of their ancestors’ birthplaces – something most of India’s 1.3 billion inhabitants will likely be unable to do. As a consequence, Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now have the ability to question and strip the citizenship (and therefore human rights) of large numbers of people at a time, making them stateless.
The NRC has already been used in the state of Assam, where nearly two million people – half of them Muslim – have had their citizenship revoked. Many of the newly criminalized “illegal immigrants” will be housed in huge detention centers resembling those on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Despite the potential for serious consequences from the capital’s police, Delhi women have led a spontaneous 24/7 protest – called the Shaheen Bagh – for 37 continuous days. Many have traveled from all over the country to set up shop at the encampment in southeastern Delhi. Similar occupations have popped up in other cities. With the new NSA decree, police will be empowered to take far more forceful action against protestors if they so desire.
Huge Women Protest against NRC-CAA-NPR in Kurnool city Andhra Pradesh
Now Every Town Every City Every Village Has #ShaheenBagh।#मेरा_PM_झूठा_है #भक्तों_की_सूजी_है #WeReject_CAA_NPR_NRC pic.twitter.com/eUQ5eBlx7w — Virenderjit (@vsbrar_) January 20, 2020
The protests have become a popular place for artists and musicians, as young people join the revolt; while Muslims are particularly prevalent, people from all faiths have joined. There are also vigils outside Delhi’s Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the city. On Saturday, the anniversary of statesman Mahatma Gandhi’s final hunger strike, a large crowd gathered outside the mosque pledging to uphold the secular constitution and protect the Muslim community from further attacks from the government. Gandhi ended his final hunger fast on January 18, 1948, after Hindu extremist groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – a group Prime Minister Modi is a member of – agreed to end their campaign of communal violence against Muslims. Hindu extremists assassinated Gandhi later that month. Protestors claim that Modi’s new laws “shatter the promises made in that declaration.” “For Gandhi, India belonged to all. He would have found the idea of linking citizenship to religion abhorrent,” they argue.
The Shaheen Bagh has become a metaphor for the resistance against Modi’s attempts to move India away from its secular tradition into a Hindu supremacist state. As one writer put it, “It’s not just about saving Indian Muslims. It’s about saving India.”
There is, however, strong support for the BJP’s policies among India’s Hindu community, who constitute over 80 percent of the country’s population. Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 after the collapse in support for the once-dominant Congress Party. And in the April-May elections last year the BJP swept the country, winning 303 of the 545 seats in the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament, a remarkable achievement in a federated, multi-party subcontinent where nearly forty parties won seats. Modi is also widely seen, both positively and negatively, as the man who oversaw the 2002 Gujarat riots, where over a thousand Muslims were slaughtered in communal violence reminiscent of Gandhi’s era.
In December, Indian intellectual Vijay Prashad described Modi’s ideology as a mixture of fascism and hard neoliberal economics, combining Hindu nationalism with a package of privatization of state resources. Despite substantial economic growth, India’s working class has seen little to no rise in standards of living in decades, leading to rapidly expanding economic inequality. Without an explanation from the moderate National Congress Party, who began implementing the privatization process, the BJP has been able to successfully focus the Hindu majority’s discontent onto ethnic minorities and immigrants, particularly Muslims, even as they carry out largely the same economic agenda as Congress did.
Earlier this month, an estimated quarter-billion Indians went on strike demanding better wages and working conditions. While the Modi government may have the seats in parliament to push through any legislation it wants, it does not mean that those opposed to it will take his plans lightly.
Feature photo | Indian Christians hold national flags and placards during a rally to protest against the new citizenship law outside St. Pauls’ Cathedral church in Kolkata, India, Jan. 20, 2020. Bikas Das | 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--2020-01-20--MSNBC’s Joy Ann Reid Invites Quack Body Language Expert on to Trash Sanders

MSNBC anchor Joy Ann Reid invited Jeanine Driver , a self-styled expert in the highly contentious field of body language analysis on her show , AM Joy , to assess the recent spat between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at the seventh Democratic presidential debate .
Warren accused the Vermont Senator of dismissing her chances , claiming he said that a woman could not become president , something he vehemently denies .
“ First of all I think Bernie ’ s lying , ” Driver told Reid ’ s weekend audience of around 1.1 million , claiming , “ his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting caught , ” adding that Sanders was “ trying to hide in plain sight.
” Driver offered up more questionable expertise in why she agrees with Warren : “ He starts with ‘ well.
’ Liars like to start with ‘ well , ’ ” she said , claiming that Sanders ’ “ weirdy ” posture is proof of his dishonesty .
Reid strongly agreed : “ scandals hurt you more when they seem plausible , ” she said .
The idea that Sanders ’ posture might be slightly hunched because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the short segment , Driver also suggested that Bernie was “ coached ” to laugh at hard questions , a tactic she claimed liars use to shrug off inconvenient truths .
She did not explain or even acknowledge why even the audience laughed at CNN moderator Abby Phillip ’ s childish attempts to frame the question that drew criticism across the corporate media landscape as a textbook example of bad journalism .
Even Warren herself could not help but hold back a smile at the loaded question Phillip asked .
Driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in doubt ; as The Nation ’ s Ken Klippenstein found , she claims that flu shots impregnate American women and has spread other vaccine myths .
Perhaps more importantly , however , neither MSNBC nor Driver disclosed that she is personal friends with former Vice President Joe Biden – something that seems relevant given that Sanders is Biden ’ s closest challenger in the race to become the Democrats ’ choice for president of the United States .
Reid herself is also a controversial figure , with a history of strongly racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the chief proponents of the RussiaGate narrative ; the theory that Donald Trump worked with Vladimir Putin to overthrow American democracy .
In her hostility towards Trump and all things Slavic , she managed to make multiple errors in one infamous statement when she claimed Ivana Trump was from “ Soviet Yugoslavia.
” In reality , Ivana is from Slovakia , which was never part of Yugoslavia .
And neither Slovakia nor Yugoslavia was ever part of the Soviet Union .
Reid also categorically stated that Islam is incompatible with both free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only reason Muslims have not started a world war is that they “ are so desperately poor that they have the time , energy and resources for only the occasional burst of AK-47 fire into the air from the garbage and sewage laden streets outside of their mud huts.
” In her previous , pre-woke stage Reid was also a proud homophobe , outing closeted gay people and even insinuating that most gay men are actually pedophiles .
When these problematic posts were found by journalists , Reid claimed that Russian hackers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her personal website in order to derail her important investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election .
She did not explain how neither she nor anyone else noticed rogue articles appearing on her blog for over a decade , nor how the offensive posts were saved and archived by the Library of Congress in 2006 .
Evidently , Moscow must have been playing a very long game with Reid .
In response to the segment , Reid and her show trended on Twitter , a fact the tone-deaf anchor celebrated .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ MSNBC is a fucking disgrace , ” wrote Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald .
“ This segment of bullshit charlatan body language analysis to prove Bernie is lying mixed with Joy Reid ’ s anti-Semitic stereotypes about his pushy use of his hands when speaking – is appalling but typical , ” he said , ending by saying , “ The hacker did it , ” in reference to Reid ’ s stock excuse .
In response to the segment , Sanders ’ National Press Secretary , Briahna Joy Gray , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusts the media .
These people are digging their own professional graves , ” adding that she felt they deserved an apology .
The reaction to Warren ’ s accusations has also been distinctly poor , with the Massachusetts senator slumping to just 12 percent support nationally .
In contrast , Sanders took first place over Driver ’ s friend and ex-Delaware senator Biden .
Opinion polls show that the public responds to Sanders ’ message on Medicare for All and his promise to take on powerful corporations , one of whom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Their greed must end , ” he wrote on his campaign website .
Perhaps that explains the extent of MSNBC ’ s hostility towards him .
Feature photo | MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid speaks with “ body language expert ” Janine Driver , who accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of being a liar on national television .
Screenshot | MSNBC 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

MSNBC anchor Joy Ann Reid invited Jeanine Driver, a self-styled expert in the highly contentious field of body language analysis on her show, AM Joy, to assess the recent spat between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at the seventh Democratic presidential debate. Warren accused the Vermont Senator of dismissing her chances, claiming he said that a woman could not become president, something he vehemently denies.
“First of all I think Bernie’s lying,” Driver told Reid’s weekend audience of around 1.1 million, claiming, “his shoulders come up like a little kid getting caught,” adding that Sanders was “trying to hide in plain sight.” Driver offered up more questionable expertise in why she agrees with Warren: “He starts with ‘well.’ Liars like to start with ‘well,’” she said, claiming that Sanders’ “weirdy” posture is proof of his dishonesty. Reid strongly agreed: “scandals hurt you more when they seem plausible,” she said. The idea that Sanders’ posture might be slightly hunched because he is 78 years old was not considered.
JFC MSNBC’s Joy Reid invited on a body language expert to say “Bernie is lying” about the Warren spat pic.twitter.com/yhqchYFHk8 — Ibrahim (@ibrahimpols) January 18, 2020
In the short segment, Driver also suggested that Bernie was “coached” to laugh at hard questions, a tactic she claimed liars use to shrug off inconvenient truths. She did not explain or even acknowledge why even the audience laughed at CNN moderator Abby Phillip’s childish attempts to frame the question that drew criticism across the corporate media landscape as a textbook example of bad journalism. Even Warren herself could not help but hold back a smile at the loaded question Phillip asked.
Driver’s credibility on any subject is in doubt; as The Nation’s Ken Klippenstein found, she claims that flu shots impregnate American women and has spread other vaccine myths. Perhaps more importantly, however, neither MSNBC nor Driver disclosed that she is personal friends with former Vice President Joe Biden – something that seems relevant given that Sanders is Biden’s closest challenger in the race to become the Democrats’ choice for president of the United States.
The “body language expert” Joy-Ann Reid had on to say Bernie Sanders lied at the debate posted anti-Vaxxer content at least twice pic.twitter.com/73hcWTi2TM — Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 18, 2020
Reid herself is also a controversial figure, with a history of strongly racist and homophobic remarks. She was one of the chief proponents of the RussiaGate narrative; the theory that Donald Trump worked with Vladimir Putin to overthrow American democracy.
In her hostility towards Trump and all things Slavic, she managed to make multiple errors in one infamous statement when she claimed Ivana Trump was from “Soviet Yugoslavia.” In reality, Ivana is from Slovakia, which was never part of Yugoslavia. And neither Slovakia nor Yugoslavia was ever part of the Soviet Union.
Reid also categorically stated that Islam is incompatible with both free speech and democracy, and implied that the only reason Muslims have not started a world war is that they “are so desperately poor that they have the time, energy and resources for only the occasional burst of AK-47 fire into the air from the garbage and sewage laden streets outside of their mud huts.”
In her previous, pre-woke stage Reid was also a proud homophobe, outing closeted gay people and even insinuating that most gay men are actually pedophiles. When these problematic posts were found by journalists, Reid claimed that Russian hackers had inserted homophobic and racist rantings onto her personal website in order to derail her important investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. She did not explain how neither she nor anyone else noticed rogue articles appearing on her blog for over a decade, nor how the offensive posts were saved and archived by the Library of Congress in 2006. Evidently, Moscow must have been playing a very long game with Reid.
In response to the segment, Reid and her show trended on Twitter, a fact the tone-deaf anchor celebrated. But the public reaction was far from positive.
“MSNBC is a fucking disgrace,” wrote Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald. “This segment of bullshit charlatan body language analysis to prove Bernie is lying mixed with Joy Reid’s anti-Semitic stereotypes about his pushy use of his hands when speaking – is appalling but typical,” he said, ending by saying, “The hacker did it,” in reference to Reid’s stock excuse. In response to the segment, Sanders’ National Press Secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, said “This is why no one trusts the media. These people are digging their own professional graves,” adding that she felt they deserved an apology.
The reaction to Warren’s accusations has also been distinctly poor, with the Massachusetts senator slumping to just 12 percent support nationally. In contrast, Sanders took first place over Driver’s friend and ex-Delaware senator Biden. Opinion polls show that the public responds to Sanders’ message on Medicare for All and his promise to take on powerful corporations, one of whom is MSNBC’s parent company, Comcast. “Their greed must end,” he wrote on his campaign website. Perhaps that explains the extent of MSNBC’s hostility towards him.
Feature photo | MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid speaks with “body language expert”Janine Driver, who accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of being a liar on national television. Screenshot | MSNBC
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.