mintpressnews--2020-03-05--A Nightmare Scenario: Coronavirus in ‘Quarantined’ Gaza

What if the Coronavirus reaches the besieged Gaza Strip ?
While the question carries great urgency for all Palestinians living under Israel ’ s military occupation , the situation in Gaza is particularly complex and extremely worrying .
Nearly 50 countries have already reported cases of COVID-19 , one of several epidemics that are caused by the Coronavirus .
If developed countries , such as Italy and South Korea , are struggling to contain the deadly virus , one can only imagine what occupied Palestinians would have to face should the virus strike .
In fact , according to official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached Palestine following a visit by a South Korean delegation in the period between February 8 and 15 , which included a tour in the major Palestinian cities of Jerusalem , Nablus , Jericho , Hebron , and Bethlehem .
The Palestinian Authority scrambled to contain the fallout of the news , which caused palpable panic among a population that has little faith in its leadership , to begin with .
PA Prime Minister , Mohammad Shtayyeh , “ hoped ” that the “ owners of the unknown facilities ” would exercise personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other establishments that are open to the public .
The PA Ministry of Health followed this by declaring a “ state of emergency ” in all hospitals under PA jurisdiction in the West Bank , designating a quarantine center near Jericho for those arriving from China and other areas that are hard hit by the Coronavirus .
For Palestinians however , fighting an outbreak of the Coronavirus is not a straightforward matter , even if the dysfunctional PA facilities follow the instructions of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) to the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matrix of control that has excluded many communities behind large cement walls , military checkpoints , and impossible to navigate army ordinances that are inherently designed to weaken the Palestinian community and to ease the Israeli government ’ s mission of controlling Palestinians and colonizing their land .
What can the PA do to come to the aid of tens of thousands of Palestinians in the so-called ‘ Area C ’ of the occupied West Bank ?
This region is entirely under the control of the Israeli army , which has little interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
Such questions would have to be considered in the context of what WHO refers to as “ health inequalities ” among Palestinians , on the one hand , and between Palestinians and privileged illegal Jewish settlers , on the other .
In some way , many Palestinian communities are already ‘ quarantined ’ by Israel , but for political , not medical reasons .
An outbreak of the Coronavirus in some of these communities , especially the ones that are cut off from proper healthcare and well-equipped medical facilities , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , awaits Gaza , should the deadly and fast-spreading virus find its way from all directions through the hermetic siege , which engulfs this minuscule , but densely populated region .
Gaza , which is enduring its twelfth year of Israeli siege and is still reeling under the massive destruction of several Israeli wars , has already been declared “ uninhabitable ” by the United Nations .
However , the misery of Gaza never ceases to unfold .
Not a single UN report on Gaza ’ s ailing medical facilities or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years has used any positive or even hopeful language .
Last March , UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory Mr. Jamie McGoldrick bemoaned Gaza ’ s “ chronic power outages , gaps in critical services , including mental health and psychosocial support , and shortages of essential medicines and supplies.
” In January , the Israeli rights group .
B ’ Tselem , spoke of an unprecedented health crisis in besieged Gaza , one that is not fueled by the Coronavirus or any other such epidemics but by the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperately trying to deal with the fall-out of the thousands of injuries resulting from the ‘ Great March of Return ’ which has taken place on the Gaza side of the dividing fence .
B ’ Tselem has already reported on “ the unlawful open-fire policy Israel is using against these demonstrations , allowing soldiers to shoot live fire at unarmed protesters who endanger no one , has led to horrific results.
” The Israeli group cited moderate estimations provided by WHO that , by the end of 2019 , Gaza physicians had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a number that includes 30 children .
This , in addition to dozens of protesters who have become permanently paralyzed because of spinal injuries .
This is only a small part of a much more multifaceted crisis .
Not only measles and other highly contagious infectious diseases are finding their way back to Gaza , water-borne diseases are also spreading at an alarming rate .
97 % of all of Gaza ’ s water is not fit for human consumption , according to the WHO , which begs the question : How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic when , in some cases , clean water is not even available in Gaza ’ s largest hospital , Al-Shifa ?
“ Even when it is available , doctors and nurses are unable to sterilize their hands because of the water quality , ” according to the RAND Corporation .
WHO director in Palestine , Gerald Rockenschaub , spoke assuredly about his meeting with PA Minister of Health , Mai Al-Kaila , in Ramallah on February 25 , where they discussed the need for more “ preparedness measures ” and “ additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank and Gaza .
WHO also announced that it is “ coordinating with local authorities in Gaza ” to ensure the Strip ’ s preparedness to cope with the Coronavirus .
Such soothing language , however , masks an ugly reality , one that WHO and the entire United Nations have failed to confront over the course of a decade .
All previous reports on Gaza by WHO , while accurately detailing the problem , did little to diagnose its roots or to fashion a permanent solution to it .
Indeed , Gaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever , Gaza ’ s water is as dirty as ever and , despite repeated warnings , the Strip is still unfit for human habitation , thanks to the brutal Israeli siege and to the silence of the international community .
The truth is , no amount of ‘ preparedness ’ in Gaza – or , frankly , anywhere in occupied Palestine – can stop the spread of the Coronavirus .
What is needed is a fundamental and structural change that would emancipate the Palestinian healthcare system from the horrific impact of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policies of perpetual siege and politically-imposed ‘ quarantines ’ – also known as apartheid .
Feature photo | Palestinian children look out from their window in a section of a damaged apartment block , which was partially destroyed by Israel in 2014 in Beit Lahiya , Gaza .
Hatem Moussa | AP 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

What if the Coronavirus reaches the besieged Gaza Strip?
While the question carries great urgency for all Palestinians living under Israel’s military occupation, the situation in Gaza is particularly complex and extremely worrying.
Nearly 50 countries have already reported cases of COVID-19, one of several epidemics that are caused by the Coronavirus. If developed countries, such as Italy and South Korea, are struggling to contain the deadly virus, one can only imagine what occupied Palestinians would have to face should the virus strike.
In fact, according to official Palestinian reports, the Coronavirus has already reached Palestine following a visit by a South Korean delegation in the period between February 8 and 15, which included a tour in the major Palestinian cities of Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, Hebron, and Bethlehem.
The Palestinian Authority scrambled to contain the fallout of the news, which caused palpable panic among a population that has little faith in its leadership, to begin with. PA Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, “hoped” that the “owners of the unknown facilities” would exercise personal responsibility and shut down their business and other establishments that are open to the public.
The PA Ministry of Health followed this by declaring a “state of emergency” in all hospitals under PA jurisdiction in the West Bank, designating a quarantine center near Jericho for those arriving from China and other areas that are hard hit by the Coronavirus.
For Palestinians however, fighting an outbreak of the Coronavirus is not a straightforward matter, even if the dysfunctional PA facilities follow the instructions of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the letter.
Palestinians are separated by an Israeli matrix of control that has excluded many communities behind large cement walls, military checkpoints, and impossible to navigate army ordinances that are inherently designed to weaken the Palestinian community and to ease the Israeli government’s mission of controlling Palestinians and colonizing their land.
What can the PA do to come to the aid of tens of thousands of Palestinians in the so-called ‘Area C’ of the occupied West Bank? This region is entirely under the control of the Israeli army, which has little interest in the welfare of the Palestinian inhabitants there.
Such questions would have to be considered in the context of what WHO refers to as “health inequalities” among Palestinians, on the one hand, and between Palestinians and privileged illegal Jewish settlers, on the other.
In some way, many Palestinian communities are already ‘quarantined’ by Israel, but for political, not medical reasons. An outbreak of the Coronavirus in some of these communities, especially the ones that are cut off from proper healthcare and well-equipped medical facilities, would prove disastrous.
The worst of fates, however, awaits Gaza, should the deadly and fast-spreading virus find its way from all directions through the hermetic siege, which engulfs this minuscule, but densely populated region.
Gaza, which is enduring its twelfth year of Israeli siege and is still reeling under the massive destruction of several Israeli wars, has already been declared “uninhabitable” by the United Nations.
However, the misery of Gaza never ceases to unfold. Not a single UN report on Gaza’s ailing medical facilities or preparedness for at least the last ten years has used any positive or even hopeful language.
Last March, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory Mr. Jamie McGoldrick bemoaned Gaza’s “chronic power outages, gaps in critical services, including mental health and psychosocial support, and shortages of essential medicines and supplies.”
In January, the Israeli rights group. B’Tselem, spoke of an unprecedented health crisis in besieged Gaza, one that is not fueled by the Coronavirus or any other such epidemics but by the fact that Gaza’s barely functioning hospitals are desperately trying to deal with the fall-out of the thousands of injuries resulting from the ‘Great March of Return’ which has taken place on the Gaza side of the dividing fence.
B’Tselem has already reported on “the unlawful open-fire policy Israel is using against these demonstrations, allowing soldiers to shoot live fire at unarmed protesters who endanger no one, has led to horrific results.”
The Israeli group cited moderate estimations provided by WHO that, by the end of 2019, Gaza physicians had to perform limb amputations on 155 protesters, a number that includes 30 children. This, in addition to dozens of protesters who have become permanently paralyzed because of spinal injuries.
This is only a small part of a much more multifaceted crisis. Not only measles and other highly contagious infectious diseases are finding their way back to Gaza, water-borne diseases are also spreading at an alarming rate.
97% of all of Gaza’s water is not fit for human consumption, according to the WHO, which begs the question: How could Gaza hospitals possibly confront the Coronavirus epidemic when, in some cases, clean water is not even available in Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa?
“Even when it is available, doctors and nurses are unable to sterilize their hands because of the water quality,” according to the RAND Corporation.
WHO director in Palestine, Gerald Rockenschaub, spoke assuredly about his meeting with PA Minister of Health, Mai Al-Kaila, in Ramallah on February 25, where they discussed the need for more “preparedness measures” and “additional priority preparedness actions” in the West Bank and Gaza.
WHO also announced that it is “coordinating with local authorities in Gaza” to ensure the Strip’s preparedness to cope with the Coronavirus.
Such soothing language, however, masks an ugly reality, one that WHO and the entire United Nations have failed to confront over the course of a decade.
All previous reports on Gaza by WHO, while accurately detailing the problem, did little to diagnose its roots or to fashion a permanent solution to it. Indeed, Gaza’s hospitals are as dysfunctional as ever, Gaza’s water is as dirty as ever and, despite repeated warnings, the Strip is still unfit for human habitation, thanks to the brutal Israeli siege and to the silence of the international community.
The truth is, no amount of ‘preparedness’ in Gaza – or, frankly, anywhere in occupied Palestine – can stop the spread of the Coronavirus. What is needed is a fundamental and structural change that would emancipate the Palestinian healthcare system from the horrific impact of the Israeli occupation and the Israeli government’s policies of perpetual siege and politically-imposed ‘quarantines’ – also known as apartheid.
Feature photo | Palestinian children look out from their window in a section of a damaged apartment block, which was partially destroyed by Israel in 2014 in Beit Lahiya, Gaza. Hatem Moussa | AP
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


mintpressnews--2020-03-06--Big Banks Call for Wall Street Deregulation to “Fight Coronavirus”

As coronavirus panic hits the U.S. , a financial lobbying group is attempting to use the crisis to push through the deregulation of its industry .
The Bank Policy Institute ( BPI ) , a Washington-based lobbying organization representing many of the nation ’ s largest banks , released a set of proposals this week , the most important of which recommends that the Federal Reserve lower capital requirements to zero .
This would mean banks could lend an unlimited amount without having any assets or wealth to back it up .
It also advocated relaxing the so-called “ stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they can withstand economic shocks .
This , it claims , would help America fight the COVID-19 virus .
The report ’ s lead author was BPI CEO Greg Baer , former Managing Director of JP Morgan Chase .
The recommendations have been condemned as incoherent and “ transparently opportunistic ” by Jeremy Krass of the University of Michigan School of Business .
“ The whole idea of capital requirements and stress-testing banks is to make sure they have enough cushion to absorb losses ” in a period of economic crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the economy has gone into a sudden shock , Wall Street wants those regulations lifted .
The government itself is also trying to force through measures that it dubiously claims would help fight the coronavirus .
Earlier this week President Trump called on Congress to enact a large tax cut and pushed Democrats to support it .
These efforts perfectly encapsulate the idea of the “ Shock Doctrine ” that author Naomi Klein laid out in her 2007 book of the same name .
Klein argued that the wealthy elite use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to quickly force through pro-free-market legislation that would otherwise meet with widespread and coordinated opposition .
As she said , “ the idea of exploiting crisis and disaster has been the modus operandi of [ economist ] Milton Friedman ’ s movement from the very beginning – this fundamentalist form of capitalism has always needed disasters to advance.
” “ Some of the most infamous human rights violations of this era , which have tended to be viewed as sadistic acts carried out by antidemocratic regimes , were in fact either committed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or actively harnessed to prepare the ground for the introduction of radical free-market ‘ reforms , ’ ” she explained .
Klein cites Hurricane Katrina – where the Bush administration rushed through privatization and charter school bills for New Orleans while residents were reeling from the devastation – as a perfect example .
Going further back , Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet used his coup against President Salvador Allende to turn Chile into a free-market , neoliberal experiment almost overnight , over the protestations of ordinary Chileans , whom he suppressed with overwhelming force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline amid fears that the coronavirus will disrupt international supply chains ; the Dow Jones index plummeted nearly 1,000 points yesterday .
Yet , as the Center for Economic Policy Research ’ s Dean Baker has noted , the stock market is a very poor indicator of the economy ’ s current and future health .
It is , however , a great gauge on how the top one percent are faring .
Stocks also tend to surge after natural disasters ( like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami ) or when conservatives win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and weapons manufacturers ’ share prices jumped after Boris Johnson beat Jeremy Corbyn ) .
This is because corporations , ignoring the devastation , expect big orders to rebuild or to destroy .
Today the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide reached 100,000 , with 3,461 recorded deaths .
In response , the Himalayan nation of Bhutan closed its doors to tourists altogether , Starbucks announced it would no longer allow customers to use their own cups due to concern about contagion , and the world ’ s smallest country , the Vatican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the U.S. , 259 people have been infected , and 14 have died .
While emergency funding to combat the virus will be passed today , the American response has not been swift .
Workers have not been guaranteed full sick pay while quarantining , leading to a situation where many poorer citizens will have to choose between doing the right thing and going broke .
A Miami resident returning from China was presented with a $ 3,500 bill after reporting his flu-like symptoms to medical staff , leading to fears that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus spread .
Analysts , however , appear more concerned about the health of stock prices than the health of the nation .
CNBC ’ s Rick Santelli suggested infecting the entire population with COVID-19 so nobody would have an excuse to miss work , thus effectively sacrificing the country for the sake of the economy .
While there are many economic steps the United States could take to help the situation , deregulating Wall Street might not be the most necessary .
Feature photo | A pedestrian wears a surgical mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as concerns grow around coronavirus , March 3 , 2020 , in New York .
Bebeto Matthews | 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 @ @ @

As coronavirus panic hits the U.S., a financial lobbying group is attempting to use the crisis to push through the deregulation of its industry. The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), a Washington-based lobbying organization representing many of the nation’s largest banks, released a set of proposals this week, the most important of which recommends that the Federal Reserve lower capital requirements to zero. This would mean banks could lend an unlimited amount without having any assets or wealth to back it up. It also advocated relaxing the so-called “stress tests” that force banks to show that they can withstand economic shocks. This, it claims, would help America fight the COVID-19 virus. The report’s lead author was BPI CEO Greg Baer, former Managing Director of JP Morgan Chase.
The recommendations have been condemned as incoherent and “transparently opportunistic” by Jeremy Krass of the University of Michigan School of Business. “The whole idea of capital requirements and stress-testing banks is to make sure they have enough cushion to absorb losses” in a period of economic crisis, Kress told the Washington Post. Now that the economy has gone into a sudden shock, Wall Street wants those regulations lifted.
The government itself is also trying to force through measures that it dubiously claims would help fight the coronavirus. Earlier this week President Trump called on Congress to enact a large tax cut and pushed Democrats to support it.
These efforts perfectly encapsulate the idea of the “Shock Doctrine” that author Naomi Klein laid out in her 2007 book of the same name. Klein argued that the wealthy elite use the confusion caused by economic and other disasters to quickly force through pro-free-market legislation that would otherwise meet with widespread and coordinated opposition. As she said, “the idea of exploiting crisis and disaster has been the modus operandi of [economist] Milton Friedman’s movement from the very beginning – this fundamentalist form of capitalism has always needed disasters to advance.”
“Some of the most infamous human rights violations of this era, which have tended to be viewed as sadistic acts carried out by antidemocratic regimes, were in fact either committed with the deliberate intent of terrorizing the public or actively harnessed to prepare the ground for the introduction of radical free-market ‘reforms,’” she explained.
Klein cites Hurricane Katrina – where the Bush administration rushed through privatization and charter school bills for New Orleans while residents were reeling from the devastation – as a perfect example. Going further back, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet used his coup against President Salvador Allende to turn Chile into a free-market, neoliberal experiment almost overnight, over the protestations of ordinary Chileans, whom he suppressed with overwhelming force.
There are many things to worry about with the corinavirus, but a plunging stock market is not one of them, unless you are one of the minority who owns a large amount of stock https://t.co/lxZC10PxgD — Dean Baker (@DeanBaker13) March 6, 2020
The stock market is in serious decline amid fears that the coronavirus will disrupt international supply chains; the Dow Jones index plummeted nearly 1,000 points yesterday. Yet, as the Center for Economic Policy Research’s Dean Baker has noted, the stock market is a very poor indicator of the economy’s current and future health. It is, however, a great gauge on how the top one percent are faring. Stocks also tend to surge after natural disasters (like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami) or when conservatives win elections (in December, British banks and weapons manufacturers’ share prices jumped after Boris Johnson beat Jeremy Corbyn). This is because corporations, ignoring the devastation, expect big orders to rebuild or to destroy.
News that will cause stocks to go up:
– a minimum wage increase is struck down
– employees are prevented from unionizing
– corporate taxes are reduced
– labor laws are relaxed The stock market is not the economy, it's an estimate of how much wealth can be extracted from workers. — Existential Comics (@existentialcoms) January 12, 2020
Today the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide reached 100,000, with 3,461 recorded deaths. In response, the Himalayan nation of Bhutan closed its doors to tourists altogether, Starbucks announced it would no longer allow customers to use their own cups due to concern about contagion, and the world’s smallest country, the Vatican, recorded its first case of coronavirus. In the U.S., 259 people have been infected, and 14 have died.
While emergency funding to combat the virus will be passed today, the American response has not been swift. Workers have not been guaranteed full sick pay while quarantining, leading to a situation where many poorer citizens will have to choose between doing the right thing and going broke. A Miami resident returning from China was presented with a $3,500 bill after reporting his flu-like symptoms to medical staff, leading to fears that a lack of universal healthcare will help the virus spread. Analysts, however, appear more concerned about the health of stock prices than the health of the nation. CNBC’s Rick Santelli suggested infecting the entire population with COVID-19 so nobody would have an excuse to miss work, thus effectively sacrificing the country for the sake of the economy. While there are many economic steps the United States could take to help the situation, deregulating Wall Street might not be the most necessary.
Feature photo | A pedestrian wears a surgical mask on a busy street in mid-town Manhattan, as concerns grow around coronavirus, March 3, 2020, in New York. Bebeto Matthews | 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--2020-03-06--The New Idlib Ceasefire Forces Turkey-Backed Extremists to Fall Back

Mideast Discourse — Turkey increased its military invasion of Syria last month to prevent the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) from liberating Idlib province from the occupation of terrorists , who are supported by Turkey and had been supported by the US before 2017 when President Trump cut off their funding through the CIA .
The invasion of thousands of troops has been disastrous for Turkey since 58 soldiers were killed , including 33 in a recent airstrike .
The SAA is the only Syrian national armed forces , and are backed by Syrian and Russian air forces , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberate the last territory held by the Al Qaeda affiliate , Hay ’ at Tahrir al-sham , formerly called Jibhat al Nusra .
Turkey shot down a Syrian jet on Tuesday over Idlib , which brought Turkey closer to a direct conflict with Russia , even though they have shared interests outside of Syria .
Previously , Turkey had shot down 2 additional Syrian jets , while the Turkish lost over 10 military-grade drones .
Turkish President Erdogan has called on the US and NATO for military assistance in Idlib , but both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qaeda in Idlib .
The Turkish parliament erupted into a fist-fight on Wednesday as the AK party of Erdogan clashed with opposition parties concerned about the increasing loss of Turkish lives in Idlib .
The AK party is a Muslim Brotherhood party that shares the same political ideology as Al Qaeda , hoping to create an Islamic state in Idlib .
Even though the AK Party is the ruling party , modern Turkey was founded on secular values , and the support of extremists in Idlib has caused the country to be divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a million people from homes that are not their own , as they were squatters .
These civilians are the wives , children and elderly relatives of the terrorists .
The original homeowners of Idlib left years ago , fleeing from the terrorists .
Russia ’ s role in the global war on terror In September 2015 Russia was formally requested to come to the military aid of Syria in the global fight on terrorism .
An agreement was made between Turkey and Russia in 2018 in Sochi , and Turkey had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to safely separate the unarmed civilians from fighters .
On Wednesday , Russia ’ s Defense Ministry said Turkey had violated earlier negotiated agreements with Moscow , accusing Ankara of providing direct military aid to terrorist groups in Idlib who routinely fire on Russia ’ s main base in the region .
President Putin ’ s message to Erdogan has always been simple : Stop supporting the Al Qaeda terrorists in Idlib , who are banned by the UN , the US and the EU , and leave Syria .
Yesterday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assad .
“ I ’ ve said many times that Idlib , from a military point of view , is a stepping stone , and they put all their forces to stop its liberation so we can ’ t proceed to the east , ” Assad said , accusing Turkey , the US and NATO of trying to stop Syria ’ s military progress .
The SAA recaptured the strategic town of Saraqeb in Idlib on Monday , and Russia ’ s defense ministry said it has deployed military police there “ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles and civilians along the M4 and M5 highways ” .
US Ambassador James Jeffrey , a special representative for Syria , and US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft , both visited the border at Idlib on Tuesday in a show of support for Turkey and the terrorists .
On February 5 Ambassador Jeffrey had said he was very concerned about Idlib because of past chemical attacks there and acknowledged about 10,000 Al Qaeda terrorists were present .
He failed to acknowledge investigative reports which point to the terrorists as the source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on the Pentagon to establish a no-fly zone , apparently disregarding the fact that would entail a full US invasion of Syria and confrontation with Russia .
Jeffrey also requested the US to deploy Patriot batteries to Turkey , a request which was vigorously denied by the Department of Defense , who are angry at Turkey for choosing the Russian S-400 over the American equivalent .
Ambassador Kelly Craft called for an immediate ceasefire in Idlib and urged Moscow to ground its jets .
“ As President Trump has made clear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , and Iran must halt their offensive before more innocent civilians are killed and displaced , ” Craft said in a statement .
“ Humanitarian aid is only a response , but the solution is an immediate ceasefire , ” Craft told reporters on the border .
Will Trump step in to save Erdogan ?
President Donald Trump had stated his plan to reduce the US role in the Middle East , and instead to allow Russia to deal with the Syrian crisis , but aides have pressured him to back-track .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send military equipment to Turkey , the office of the Secretary of Defense is refusing , seeing that as reckless and unproductive .
Kelly Craft and James Jeffrey met on Tuesday at Idlib ’ s border with Syrian NGO representatives and the ‘ White Helmets ’ , while pledging $ 108 million in aid for the Syrian people .
However , this generous aid helps only those in the small province of Idlib .
This marks the first time the Trump administration has let US aid flow into Syria since the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress to be appropriated last year .
Craft announced the aid package , and said it was for “ the people of Syria in response to the ongoing crisis caused by Assad regime , Russian , and Iranian forces ” .
She never mentioned the poor and hungry residents of Aleppo , Homs , Latakia , and Damascus , who are suffering from the US-EU sanctions which prevent work , industry , and rebuilding , and will never receive any of the US aid .
The UN is increasing assistance to Idlib and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sends across the border to 100 each day according to Mark Lowcock , the United Nations humanitarian affairs coordinator .
The UN and all the other humanitarian aid agencies are enabling the occupation of Idlib by Al Qaeda to continue .
These groups keep the terrorists and their families well cared for , and they never have to face defeat or expulsion .
Turkey and the international community are containing the terrorists in Idlib , without acknowledging their role as an enabler of human suffering of innocent children who are victims of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which places their goal to establish an Islamic state in Idlib above the health and safety of their children .
On February 3 the Russian reconciliation ’ s hotline received a tip-off from 2 residents of Idlib about a planned chemical attack by the terrorists , utilizing their support group , ‘ White Helmets ’ , 15 of whom arrived in Idlib on February 1 .
Mahi al-Din al-Am , of the Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham , was involved with the staged chemical attack in 2017 at Khan Shaykoun and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maaret al-Artik to be used in a new attack .
Surveillance had observed about 400 liters of a chemical solution have been delivered by ‘ White Helmets ’ activists in two pickup trucks .
The plan has been copied many times in Syria , always when the terrorists are about to be defeated , they pull out the ‘ chemical card ’ to use , banking on the US to react to a believable video production with a military strike against Syrian government facilities .
According to the UN Human Rights Council ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham , backed and armed by Turkey are accused of war crimes , including extrajudicial killings , pillaging and have conducted war crimes against the local civilian population .
Presidents Putin and Erdoğan met in Moscow yesterday , in a last-ditch effort to strike a deal over Idlib .
Erdogan wanted the SAA to retreat to previous positions and evacuate their newly held territory .
He didn ’ t get his deal , instead , Putin won the day by keeping all SAA gains , and a promise from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Aleppo-Damascus highway unmolested and safe for transit to and from the city of industry , Aleppo .
The ceasefire in Idlib is expected to hold if Erdogan can command his Al Qaeda forces .
Some experts expect Erdogan will pull back into Turkey while moving the terrorists over to Libya , where he is also fighting a Muslim Brotherhood battle .
The next crop of olives in Idlib will be set to harvest in September .
The question is : will the owners of those trees be picking them once more after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the squatters still be there ?
Feature photo | Turkish backed extremist rebels enter the town of Saraqeb , in Idlib province , Syria , Feb. 27 , 2020 .
Ghaith Alsayed | AP

Mideast Discourse — Turkey increased its military invasion of Syria last month to prevent the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from liberating Idlib province from the occupation of terrorists, who are supported by Turkey and had been supported by the US before 2017 when President Trump cut off their funding through the CIA.
The invasion of thousands of troops has been disastrous for Turkey since 58 soldiers were killed, including 33 in a recent airstrike.
The SAA is the only Syrian national armed forces, and are backed by Syrian and Russian air forces, while their current military mission is to liberate the last territory held by the Al Qaeda affiliate, Hay’at Tahrir al-sham, formerly called Jibhat al Nusra.
Turkey shot down a Syrian jet on Tuesday over Idlib, which brought Turkey closer to a direct conflict with Russia, even though they have shared interests outside of Syria. Previously, Turkey had shot down 2 additional Syrian jets, while the Turkish lost over 10 military-grade drones.
Turkish President Erdogan has called on the US and NATO for military assistance in Idlib, but both have refused to assist him propping-up Al Qaeda in Idlib.
The Turkish parliament erupted into a fist-fight on Wednesday as the AK party of Erdogan clashed with opposition parties concerned about the increasing loss of Turkish lives in Idlib. The AK party is a Muslim Brotherhood party that shares the same political ideology as Al Qaeda, hoping to create an Islamic state in Idlib. Even though the AK Party is the ruling party, modern Turkey was founded on secular values, and the support of extremists in Idlib has caused the country to be divided.
The fighting in Idlib has driven nearly a million people from homes that are not their own, as they were squatters. These civilians are the wives, children and elderly relatives of the terrorists. The original homeowners of Idlib left years ago, fleeing from the terrorists.
Russia’s role in the global war on terror
In September 2015 Russia was formally requested to come to the military aid of Syria in the global fight on terrorism. An agreement was made between Turkey and Russia in 2018 in Sochi, and Turkey had vowed to remove all Al Qaeda terrorists and to safely separate the unarmed civilians from fighters.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Turkey had violated earlier negotiated agreements with Moscow, accusing Ankara of providing direct military aid to terrorist groups in Idlib who routinely fire on Russia’s main base in the region.
President Putin’s message to Erdogan has always been simple: Stop supporting the Al Qaeda terrorists in Idlib, who are banned by the UN, the US and the EU, and leave Syria.
President Assad’s interview
Yesterday, Rossiya-24 channel aired an interview with President Assad. “I’ve said many times that Idlib, from a military point of view, is a stepping stone, and they put all their forces to stop its liberation so we can’t proceed to the east,” Assad said, accusing Turkey, the US and NATO of trying to stop Syria’s military progress.
The SAA recaptured the strategic town of Saraqeb in Idlib on Monday, and Russia’s defense ministry said it has deployed military police there “to ensure the safety and unhindered movement of vehicles and civilians along the M4 and M5 highways”.
US Ambassadors in Idlib
US Ambassador James Jeffrey, a special representative for Syria, and US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, both visited the border at Idlib on Tuesday in a show of support for Turkey and the terrorists. On February 5 Ambassador Jeffrey had said he was very concerned about Idlib because of past chemical attacks there and acknowledged about 10,000 Al Qaeda terrorists were present. He failed to acknowledge investigative reports which point to the terrorists as the source of chemical attacks in the past and called on the Pentagon to establish a no-fly zone, apparently disregarding the fact that would entail a full US invasion of Syria and confrontation with Russia. Jeffrey also requested the US to deploy Patriot batteries to Turkey, a request which was vigorously denied by the Department of Defense, who are angry at Turkey for choosing the Russian S-400 over the American equivalent.
Ambassador Kelly Craft called for an immediate ceasefire in Idlib and urged Moscow to ground its jets. “As President Trump has made clear, the [Bashar] Assad regime, Russia, and Iran must halt their offensive before more innocent civilians are killed and displaced,” Craft said in a statement. “Humanitarian aid is only a response, but the solution is an immediate ceasefire,” Craft told reporters on the border.
Will Trump step in to save Erdogan?
President Donald Trump had stated his plan to reduce the US role in the Middle East, and instead to allow Russia to deal with the Syrian crisis, but aides have pressured him to back-track.
Even though Ambassador Jeffrey wants the US to send military equipment to Turkey, the office of the Secretary of Defense is refusing, seeing that as reckless and unproductive.
White Helmets and humanitarian enablers
Kelly Craft and James Jeffrey met on Tuesday at Idlib’s border with Syrian NGO representatives and the ‘White Helmets’, while pledging $108 million in aid for the Syrian people. However, this generous aid helps only those in the small province of Idlib. This marks the first time the Trump administration has let US aid flow into Syria since the White House refused to allow assistance approved by Congress to be appropriated last year. Craft announced the aid package, and said it was for “the people of Syria in response to the ongoing crisis caused by Assad regime, Russian, and Iranian forces”. She never mentioned the poor and hungry residents of Aleppo, Homs, Latakia, and Damascus, who are suffering from the US-EU sanctions which prevent work, industry, and rebuilding, and will never receive any of the US aid.
The UN is increasing assistance to Idlib and will double the number of trucks it sends across the border to 100 each day according to Mark Lowcock, the United Nations humanitarian affairs coordinator.
The UN and all the other humanitarian aid agencies are enabling the occupation of Idlib by Al Qaeda to continue. These groups keep the terrorists and their families well cared for, and they never have to face defeat or expulsion. Turkey and the international community are containing the terrorists in Idlib, without acknowledging their role as an enabler of human suffering of innocent children who are victims of their parent’s Radical Islamic political ideology, which places their goal to establish an Islamic state in Idlib above the health and safety of their children.
On February 3 the Russian reconciliation’s hotline received a tip-off from 2 residents of Idlib about a planned chemical attack by the terrorists, utilizing their support group, ‘White Helmets’, 15 of whom arrived in Idlib on February 1. Mahi al-Din al-Am, of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, was involved with the staged chemical attack in 2017 at Khan Shaykoun and was assembling a crowd of 200 people in Maaret al-Artik to be used in a new attack. Surveillance had observed about 400 liters of a chemical solution have been delivered by ‘White Helmets’ activists in two pickup trucks. The plan has been copied many times in Syria, always when the terrorists are about to be defeated, they pull out the ‘chemical card’ to use, banking on the US to react to a believable video production with a military strike against Syrian government facilities.
War Crimes reported
According to the UN Human Rights Council’s special independent panel for Syria, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, backed and armed by Turkey are accused of war crimes, including extrajudicial killings, pillaging and have conducted war crimes against the local civilian population.
Moscow meeting
Presidents Putin and Erdoğan met in Moscow yesterday, in a last-ditch effort to strike a deal over Idlib. Erdogan wanted the SAA to retreat to previous positions and evacuate their newly held territory. He didn’t get his deal, instead, Putin won the day by keeping all SAA gains, and a promise from Turkey to leave the Latakia-Aleppo highway and the Aleppo-Damascus highway unmolested and safe for transit to and from the city of industry, Aleppo. The ceasefire in Idlib is expected to hold if Erdogan can command his Al Qaeda forces. Some experts expect Erdogan will pull back into Turkey while moving the terrorists over to Libya, where he is also fighting a Muslim Brotherhood battle. The next crop of olives in Idlib will be set to harvest in September. The question is: will the owners of those trees be picking them once more after so many years absent, or will the squatters still be there?
Feature photo | Turkish backed extremist rebels enter the town of Saraqeb, in Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 27, 2020. Ghaith Alsayed | AP


mintpressnews--2020-03-06--“People Are Being Hunted Down” – ICE Launches Rights-Busting Onslaught Against Sanctuary Cities

Operation Palladium has begun .
Hundreds of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) have entered New York and other sanctuary cities in a fresh attempt to round up undocumented immigrants .
The directive , according to officials , is simple : arrest as many undocumented immigrants as possible and “ flood the streets ” with officers .
Beginning a 24/7 surveillance and detention program , ICE leadership has requested over 500 special agents who normally work fighting trafficking and organized crime to bolster the agency ’ s numbers .
This follows an earlier decision to deploy immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in sanctuary cities .
“ I have gotten frantic texts from people that they are spotting ICE in their New York City buildings knocking on doors .
They are terrified .
This is happening TODAY .
RIGHT NOW .
People [ are ] being hunted down , ” said journalist Maria Hinojosa .
New York Times reporter Annie Correal shared a viral image taken through the peephole of a Bronx apartment showing an ICE agent brandishing an assault weapon , demanding to enter .
Correal claims that the officers were going door to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and residents said that they did not present a warrant , both breaches of the law .
Without a warrant signed by a judge , ICE agents are unable to force their way into a home .
They are therefore staking out targets and detaining them in public .
In San Francisco , agents arrested a man on the steps of the Hall of Justice as he appeared for a court hearing on Tuesday , something Public Defender Mano Raju noted was explicitly against California law .
The city ’ s District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ICE actions in or near our courthouses deters people from accessing our justice system , making us all less safe , ” he said .
The incident was caught on camera .
Operation Palladium is the latest battle in the war between the hardline Trump administration and sanctuary cities across the country that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities in order to protect low-priority immigrants from deportation , while still turning over those who have committed serious crimes .
The operation is currently active in many large cities throughout the nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles , New Orleans and Newark .
Trump has withheld federal funds from those cities and has filed lawsuits against state and local governments in California , New Jersey and Washington State over their refusal to cooperate .
An ICE official told the New York Times that the operation has been designed to take place in spurts in different locations in order to avoid negative media coverage .
ICE has stepped up their aggressive actions of late , often behaving recklessly .
Last month they shot a Mexican tourist in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York City when the incident happened .
And earlier this week The Intercept reported that the ICE New York office has been rigging an algorithm so it suggests keeping all arrestees in detention .
Brooklyn Defender Services and the American Civil Liberties Union joined forces on a campaign called “ We Have Rights.
” It aims to educate undocumented immigrants on what to do if they encounter ICE .
They advise to not open your door , instead remaining calm and polite .
They suggest asking officers to slip their identification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door .
Without a warrant signed by a judge , it is illegal for ICE to search or enter a home .
They note that it is common for ICE to lie and advise you to inspect any documents carefully and take pictures of them .
They also recommend saying nothing to them except “ ‘ I do not consent for you to enter my home , ” “ I do not want to talk to you without a lawyer present , ” and “ please leave.
” After an encounter with ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take detailed notes about the event .
If a loved one is arrested , details can usually be found at www.locator.ice.gov .
ICE is a contentious and partisan issue in American politics , and is the least popular government agency , according to a Pew survey .
While Trump ran and won on a campaign of building a wall and demonizing undocumented immigrants , and around three-quarters of Republicans hold a positive view of ICE , a plurality of Democrats support abolishing the agency altogether .
Like many issues , young people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more voters under 30 supporting getting rid of it than keeping it , but over two-thirds of retirees advocate the agency ’ s continuing existence .
Feature photo | A photo posted on Twitter by Annie Correal shows an armed ICE agent through the peephole of an apartment 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Operation Palladium has begun. Hundreds of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have entered New York and other sanctuary cities in a fresh attempt to round up undocumented immigrants. The directive, according to officials, is simple: arrest as many undocumented immigrants as possible and “flood the streets” with officers. Beginning a 24/7 surveillance and detention program, ICE leadership has requested over 500 special agents who normally work fighting trafficking and organized crime to bolster the agency’s numbers. This follows an earlier decision to deploy immigration SWAT teams to round up undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities.
“I have gotten frantic texts from people that they are spotting ICE in their New York City buildings knocking on doors. They are terrified. This is happening TODAY. RIGHT NOW. People [are] being hunted down,” said journalist Maria Hinojosa.
This was taken through a peephole in the Bronx yesterday and just released by advocates and a councilman. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/7s9kBTIWF2 — Annie Correal (@anniecorreal) March 4, 2020
New York Times reporter Annie Correal shared a viral image taken through the peephole of a Bronx apartment showing an ICE agent brandishing an assault weapon, demanding to enter. Correal claims that the officers were going door to door, threatening to force their way in and residents said that they did not present a warrant, both breaches of the law.
Without a warrant signed by a judge, ICE agents are unable to force their way into a home. They are therefore staking out targets and detaining them in public. In San Francisco, agents arrested a man on the steps of the Hall of Justice as he appeared for a court hearing on Tuesday, something Public Defender Mano Raju noted was explicitly against California law. The city’s District Attorney Chesa Boudin condemned the act; “ICE actions in or near our courthouses deters people from accessing our justice system, making us all less safe,” he said. The incident was caught on camera.
https://twitter.com/MakeTheRoadPA/status/1234597809979920385
Operation Palladium is the latest battle in the war between the hardline Trump administration and sanctuary cities across the country that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities in order to protect low-priority immigrants from deportation, while still turning over those who have committed serious crimes. The operation is currently active in many large cities throughout the nation, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Newark. Trump has withheld federal funds from those cities and has filed lawsuits against state and local governments in California, New Jersey and Washington State over their refusal to cooperate. An ICE official told the New York Times that the operation has been designed to take place in spurts in different locations in order to avoid negative media coverage.
ICE has stepped up their aggressive actions of late, often behaving recklessly. Last month they shot a Mexican tourist in the face. Erick Díaz-Cruz was visiting his mother in New York City when the incident happened. And earlier this week The Intercept reported that the ICE New York office has been rigging an algorithm so it suggests keeping all arrestees in detention.
Brooklyn Defender Services and the American Civil Liberties Union joined forces on a campaign called “We Have Rights.” It aims to educate undocumented immigrants on what to do if they encounter ICE. They advise to not open your door, instead remaining calm and polite. They suggest asking officers to slip their identification documents and a signed warrant under the door. Without a warrant signed by a judge, it is illegal for ICE to search or enter a home. They note that it is common for ICE to lie and advise you to inspect any documents carefully and take pictures of them. They also recommend saying nothing to them except “‘I do not consent for you to enter my home,” “I do not want to talk to you without a lawyer present,” and “please leave.” After an encounter with ICE, it is also suggested that you take detailed notes about the event. If a loved one is arrested, details can usually be found at www.locator.ice.gov.
Appears that ICE has now been joined by armed “tactical forces” from border for “supercharged arrest operations.” People must know how to safely defend themselves. Please share https://t.co/6WcgISzcLb. 4 films. 7 languages. If ICE is at your door: pic.twitter.com/ZIAWk9KH4w — Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) March 4, 2020
ICE is a contentious and partisan issue in American politics, and is the least popular government agency, according to a Pew survey. While Trump ran and won on a campaign of building a wall and demonizing undocumented immigrants, and around three-quarters of Republicans hold a positive view of ICE, a plurality of Democrats support abolishing the agency altogether. Like many issues, young people are far more progressive than the elderly, with more voters under 30 supporting getting rid of it than keeping it, but over two-thirds of retirees advocate the agency’s continuing existence.
Feature photo | A photo posted on Twitter by Annie Correal shows an armed ICE agent through the peephole of an apartment
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--2020-03-06--Espionage Act Reform Bill Would Protect Journalists Like Julian Assange

Shadowproof — Under legislation proposed in Congress , the United States government would not be able to prosecute journalists like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who publish classified information .
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Ro Khanna introduced the Espionage Act Reform Act to reaffirm “ First Amendment protections for journalists ” and ensure “ whistleblowers can effectively report waste , fraud , and abuse to Congress.
” Wyden declared in a press statement , “ The Espionage Act currently provides sweeping powers for a rogue attorney general like Bill Barr or unscrupulous president like Donald Trump to target journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d rather keep secret .
This bill ensures only personnel with security clearances can be prosecuted for improperly revealing classified information.
” It would protect the rights of members of the press that “ solicit , obtain , or publish government secrets ” from prosecution .
The legislation would also protect disclosures of classified information related to signals intelligence to any member of Congress .
Whistleblower protections would be able to provide classified information to the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) , Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) , Privacy and Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inspector generals to help them investigate privacy abuses .
The government would not be able to invoke secrecy laws to shut down reviews of their conduct .
Additionally , a summary [ PDF ] indicates it would shield “ cybersecurity experts from prosecution when they publish research showing discoveries of government backdoors in encryption algorithms.
” In 2014 , H.D .
Moore , the creator of Metasploit , which is an “ ethical hacking tool , told the Guardian that U.S. law enforcement warned him he may be vulnerable to prosecution because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The initiative sought to find widespread vulnerabilities using automated computer programs to uncover the weaknesses across the entire internet.
” Law enforcement pressure was so significant that Moore took a break from his work in the internet security industry .
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden ’ s disclosures saw an increased focus in expanding government protections against privacy abuses , but the bill ’ s summary does not attribute this amendment to Snowden ’ s impact .
It relies on a much older example of government abuse of secrecy laws .
“ After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed by the press in 1976 , the FCC opened an investigation , as the disclosure to the NSA by the phone companies of customer communications violated federal communications law.
” FCC Chairman Richard Wiley told Congresswoman Bella Abzug during a hearing that carriers “ refused to answer the FCC ’ s questions ” because of secrecy rules in 18 U.S.C .
798 , which is a part of the Espionage Act that applies to “ communications intelligence.
” The FCC had to shut down their investigation into the SHAMROCK program , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from August 1945 to May 1975 .
At the time , it was “ probably the largest governmental inspection program affecting Americans ever undertaken.
” President Barack Obama ’ s administration , which included Vice President Joe Biden , prosecuted more leakers or whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous presidential administrations combined .
The Obama Justice Department ’ s use of the 1917 law enabled the government to institute “ insider threat programs ” to effectively intimidate and discourage whistleblowers from revealing corruption .
The administration intercepted the communications of journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists as co-conspirators in leak cases .
President Donald Trump has intensified Obama ’ s war on leaks to silence whistleblowers , who bring scrutiny to his administration , and the impact on journalists is largely unknown .
Since Trump was elected , the Trump Justice Department has prosecuted Daniel Hale , alleged drone whistleblower , Joshua Schulte , alleged “ Vault 7 ” materials leaker , Terry Albury , an FBI whistleblower , who pled guilty and was sentenced to prison , and Reality Winner , an NSA whistleblower who pled guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration also crossed a line the Obama administration would not and charged Assange with 18 offenses—17 of which are Espionage Act violations .
The indictment specifically criminalized Assange and WikiLeaks for seeking , obtaining , and disseminating classified information from the U.S. government .
The bill may reflect an interest in narrowing who can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act to those who pass information to “ foreign agents , ” however , the bill summary declares , “ Every single person convicted to date under the Espionage Act would still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time they were prosecuted.
” Khanna told The Intercept “ prosecutors and judges should have discretion to weigh the consequences ” of leaks “ against the motives of the source.
” But simply the language of the legislation is silent on the matter of rights defendants should have to defend themselves under the Espionage Act .
Both Wyden and Khanna say Assange could still be prosecuted for allegedly helping Chelsea Manning hack passwords , though defense attorneys might have a reasonable challenge .
The computer crime offense was written with language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could argue it was improperly charged to show prosecutors were skirting protections for journalists .
Alex Abdo , litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute of Columbia University , concluded , “ This is a crucial effort to ensure that it isn ’ t a crime for national security journalists to do their jobs .
The bill would make clear that the everyday work of journalists isn ’ t an act of espionage.
” “ These protections for journalists are vital .
It is also vital that Congress enact additional protections for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal and professional sanction to expose government malfeasance and corruption.
” Feature photo | A pedestrian passes street art depicting Julian Assange near Westminster Magistrates ’ Court in London where Assange appeared in London on Oct. 21 , 2019 .
Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP Kevin Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof Press .
He also produces and co-hosts the weekly podcast , “ Unauthorized Disclosure.
“

Shadowproof — Under legislation proposed in Congress, the United States government would not be able to prosecute journalists like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who publish classified information.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Ro Khanna introduced the Espionage Act Reform Act to reaffirm “First Amendment protections for journalists” and ensure “whistleblowers can effectively report waste, fraud, and abuse to Congress.”
Wyden declared in a press statement, “The Espionage Act currently provides sweeping powers for a rogue attorney general like Bill Barr or unscrupulous president like Donald Trump to target journalists and whistleblowers who reveal information they’d rather keep secret. This bill ensures only personnel with security clearances can be prosecuted for improperly revealing classified information.”
It would protect the rights of members of the press that “solicit, obtain, or publish government secrets” from prosecution.
The legislation would also protect disclosures of classified information related to signals intelligence to any member of Congress.
Whistleblower protections would be able to provide classified information to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), and inspector generals to help them investigate privacy abuses. The government would not be able to invoke secrecy laws to shut down reviews of their conduct.
Additionally, a summary [PDF] indicates it would shield “cybersecurity experts from prosecution when they publish research showing discoveries of government backdoors in encryption algorithms.”
In 2014, H.D. Moore, the creator of Metasploit, which is an “ethical hacking tool, told the Guardian that U.S. law enforcement warned him he may be vulnerable to prosecution because he operated a project called Critical.IO. “The initiative sought to find widespread vulnerabilities using automated computer programs to uncover the weaknesses across the entire internet.”
Law enforcement pressure was so significant that Moore took a break from his work in the internet security industry.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s disclosures saw an increased focus in expanding government protections against privacy abuses, but the bill’s summary does not attribute this amendment to Snowden’s impact. It relies on a much older example of government abuse of secrecy laws.
“After the NSA’s SHAMROCK program was revealed by the press in 1976, the FCC opened an investigation, as the disclosure to the NSA by the phone companies of customer communications violated federal communications law.” FCC Chairman Richard Wiley told Congresswoman Bella Abzug during a hearing that carriers “refused to answer the FCC’s questions” because of secrecy rules in 18 U.S.C. 798, which is a part of the Espionage Act that applies to “communications intelligence.”
The FCC had to shut down their investigation into the SHAMROCK program, which was an international telegram-spying program that existed from August 1945 to May 1975. At the time, it was “probably the largest governmental inspection program affecting Americans ever undertaken.”
President Barack Obama’s administration, which included Vice President Joe Biden, prosecuted more leakers or whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous presidential administrations combined.
The Obama Justice Department’s use of the 1917 law enabled the government to institute “insider threat programs” to effectively intimidate and discourage whistleblowers from revealing corruption. The administration intercepted the communications of journalists in Espionage Act prosecutions and even treated journalists as co-conspirators in leak cases.
President Donald Trump has intensified Obama’s war on leaks to silence whistleblowers, who bring scrutiny to his administration, and the impact on journalists is largely unknown.
Since Trump was elected, the Trump Justice Department has prosecuted Daniel Hale, alleged drone whistleblower, Joshua Schulte, alleged “Vault 7” materials leaker, Terry Albury, an FBI whistleblower, who pled guilty and was sentenced to prison, and Reality Winner, an NSA whistleblower who pled guilty and was sentenced to prison.
The Trump administration also crossed a line the Obama administration would not and charged Assange with 18 offenses—17 of which are Espionage Act violations. The indictment specifically criminalized Assange and WikiLeaks for seeking, obtaining, and disseminating classified information from the U.S. government.
The bill may reflect an interest in narrowing who can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act to those who pass information to “foreign agents,” however, the bill summary declares, “Every single person convicted to date under the Espionage Act would still have been convicted had this bill been law at the time they were prosecuted.”
Khanna told The Intercept “prosecutors and judges should have discretion to weigh the consequences” of leaks “against the motives of the source.” But simply the language of the legislation is silent on the matter of rights defendants should have to defend themselves under the Espionage Act.
Both Wyden and Khanna say Assange could still be prosecuted for allegedly helping Chelsea Manning hack passwords, though defense attorneys might have a reasonable challenge. The computer crime offense was written with language from the Espionage Act, and they could argue it was improperly charged to show prosecutors were skirting protections for journalists.
Alex Abdo, litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute of Columbia University, concluded, “This is a crucial effort to ensure that it isn’t a crime for national security journalists to do their jobs. The bill would make clear that the everyday work of journalists isn’t an act of espionage.”
“These protections for journalists are vital. It is also vital that Congress enact additional protections for national security whistleblowers, who must risk personal and professional sanction to expose government malfeasance and corruption.”
Feature photo | A pedestrian passes street art depicting Julian Assange near Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London where Assange appeared in London on Oct. 21, 2019. Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP
Kevin Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He also produces and co-hosts the weekly podcast, “Unauthorized Disclosure.“


mintpressnews--2020-03-09--Coronavirus: New York Won’t Close Schools Because Homeless Kids Have Nowhere Else to Go

As the number of cases of COVID-19 in the tri-state area rises to over 150 , Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency across New York State .
Local universities like Hofstra , Columbia and Yeshiva have shut their doors on students today .
But the city has no plans to close public k-12 schools – because tens of thousands of homeless children have nowhere else to go .
34,000 children in New York City ’ s public school system currently live in emergency shelters , and a further 74,000 have only been spared the same fate by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken them in .
With 1.1 million students , the city has the largest public school system in the United States , one in ten of whom experienced homelessness in the 2018-2019 school year , according to a recent report from education group Advocates for Children .
Thus , for many thousands of students , school is the only place they receive regular meals , shelter , medical care , and other vital services .
For that reason , School Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said that they would remain open despite the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a “ last resort.
” Homelessness among young people has reached epidemic proportions nationwide .
Federal data shows that more than 1.5 million students across America experienced homelessness during the 2017-2018 year , with California atop the table .
And yet the problem has become normalized to the point where children in the richest society in world history living on the streets are unremarkable .
In a story about homeless New York child chess prodigy Tanitoluwa Adewumi , the New York Times and other media outlets described his playing style and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he came to be homeless or what that said about the society he lived in .
The problem is particularly acute in the Bronx , where 37 percent of residents also often go to bed hungry , the highest rate in the entire country .
While Columbia University intends on teaching classes remotely from Wednesday on , schoolteachers in poorer boroughs note that it is impossible to do the same , as up to half of the students do not have Internet access at home .
“ We can ’ t do distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ninth-grade math teacher at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx , “ It wouldn ’ t be fair.
” Other responses to the coronavirus have raised eyebrows .
If the outbreak reaches pandemic proportions , the city has made plans to make prisoners from the notorious Rikers Island jail dig mass graves for victims on Hart Island , a policy first proposed by Michael Bloomberg when he was mayor .
And amid a run on the product , inmates in prison factories have also began producing large quantities of hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Manhattan hardware store was fined for hiking prices on cleaning products .
Meanwhile , banking lobbying groups are pressuring the government to force through emergency deregulation of Wall Street , supposedly to help fight the virus .
It appears that the subway will be kept open at almost all costs , too .
The confined space filled by 4.3 million people every day could pose a serious contagion threat , but it is also a crucial artery of the city .
Mayor Bill de Blasio has suggested using alternative means of transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the subway and you are able to wait for a less packed train , please do .
If you have the option of walking or biking , please do .
Buses can be crowded too , but less than subways , so please use these if you can , ” he advised .
There has also been an epidemic of anti-Asian xenophobia on the subway .
The New York Police Department is investigating a hate crime after a Chinese woman was attacked last month .
Thai and Hmong communities have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inadequate public health provisions , the wave of intolerance to the shocking levels of homelessness , the coronavirus is exposing many of the flaws of and the dark undertones of American society .
Without a functioning social safety net , the United States will find it harder than other nations to combat the virus ’ spread .
Feature photo | A commuter wears a face mask in the New York City transit system , March 9 , 2020 , in New York .
John Minchillo | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

As the number of cases of COVID-19 in the tri-state area rises to over 150, Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency across New York State. Local universities like Hofstra, Columbia and Yeshiva have shut their doors on students today. But the city has no plans to close public k-12 schools – because tens of thousands of homeless children have nowhere else to go. 34,000 children in New York City’s public school system currently live in emergency shelters, and a further 74,000 have only been spared the same fate by relatives, friends or neighbors who have taken them in. With 1.1 million students, the city has the largest public school system in the United States, one in ten of whom experienced homelessness in the 2018-2019 school year, according to a recent report from education group Advocates for Children. Thus, for many thousands of students, school is the only place they receive regular meals, shelter, medical care, and other vital services. For that reason, School Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said that they would remain open despite the risk and that closures would be considered only as a “last resort.”
Homelessness among young people has reached epidemic proportions nationwide. Federal data shows that more than 1.5 million students across America experienced homelessness during the 2017-2018 year, with California atop the table. And yet the problem has become normalized to the point where children in the richest society in world history living on the streets are unremarkable. In a story about homeless New York child chess prodigy Tanitoluwa Adewumi, the New York Times and other media outlets described his playing style and his personal brilliance but did not ponder how he came to be homeless or what that said about the society he lived in. The problem is particularly acute in the Bronx, where 37 percent of residents also often go to bed hungry, the highest rate in the entire country.
While Columbia University intends on teaching classes remotely from Wednesday on, schoolteachers in poorer boroughs note that it is impossible to do the same, as up to half of the students do not have Internet access at home. “We can’t do distance learning,” said Nicole Manning, a ninth-grade math teacher at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx, “It wouldn’t be fair.”
Y'all the NY school system won't shut down because over 100,000 students are homeless and will not get a meal otherwise. The US is the dystopia they imagine everywhere else being. — Laleh Khalili (@LalehKhalili) March 9, 2020
Other responses to the coronavirus have raised eyebrows. If the outbreak reaches pandemic proportions, the city has made plans to make prisoners from the notorious Rikers Island jail dig mass graves for victims on Hart Island, a policy first proposed by Michael Bloomberg when he was mayor. And amid a run on the product, inmates in prison factories have also began producing large quantities of hand sanitizer for public use. This weekend a Manhattan hardware store was fined for hiking prices on cleaning products. Meanwhile, banking lobbying groups are pressuring the government to force through emergency deregulation of Wall Street, supposedly to help fight the virus.
It appears that the subway will be kept open at almost all costs, too. The confined space filled by 4.3 million people every day could pose a serious contagion threat, but it is also a crucial artery of the city. Mayor Bill de Blasio has suggested using alternative means of transport, if possible. “If you take the subway and you are able to wait for a less packed train, please do. If you have the option of walking or biking, please do. Buses can be crowded too, but less than subways, so please use these if you can,” he advised.
There has also been an epidemic of anti-Asian xenophobia on the subway. The New York Police Department is investigating a hate crime after a Chinese woman was attacked last month. Thai and Hmong communities have also been the target of racist abuse.
The NYPD and the Hate Crime Task Force encourage the victim to report this incident to the police for a full investigation. https://t.co/4Qb4XHVj3Z — NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) February 5, 2020
From the inadequate public health provisions, the wave of intolerance to the shocking levels of homelessness, the coronavirus is exposing many of the flaws of and the dark undertones of American society. Without a functioning social safety net, the United States will find it harder than other nations to combat the virus’ spread.
Feature photo | A commuter wears a face mask in the New York City transit system, March 9, 2020, in New York. John Minchillo | 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.