mintpressnews--2020-11-25--A Trojan Horse? PathCheck’s Contact Tracing App Coming to Minnesota and the World

Almost as soon as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) declared a global pandemic in March , contact tracing apps seem to have sprouted everywhere .
Last May , MintPress News reported on a Bluetooth-enabled sports fans tracking app , which was later repurposed to push COVID-19 contact tracing methods .
The app , called Care19 , was one of the first publicly known implementations of a device-neutral , Android-iOS framework made possible by a noteworthy partnership between Apple and Google .
That same Apple-Google framework underpins another virtually identical app that had managed to fly under the radar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first contact tracing app released , predating North Dakota ’ s Care19 by two months and developed by an MIT Media Lab spinoff called the PathCheck Foundation .
PathCheck is set to be rolled out to the public in Minnesota through the COVIDaware MN program , which will look to bring adoption of the “ exposure notification solution ” to critical mass , in line with the goal set by PathCheck ’ s makers since the app was first released in early March 2020 .
High adoption rates would be “ pretty much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to make a surmountable difference , ” according to researchers interviewed by Popular Mechanics in a March piece on PathCheck .
The foundation claims to have already deployed its app in several countries worldwide and many U.S. states and territories , including Guam .
The campaign underway in Minnesota will test newer approaches to overcome the failures of Care19 in North Dakota , which only managed to rake together a paltry 5 % adoption rate due to heavy public resistance surrounding privacy concerns .
One of the ways PathCheck intends to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymizing the data being transferred through novel encryption features .
“ COVIDaware neither collects nor distributes personal identification , ” according to the Star Tribune .
But other aspects could make the data privacy issue a moot point .
For instance , the app will be tethered to local and state health institutions , which will send “ codes ” to users in order to “ prevent false reports ” and keep contact tracing entities abreast of a user ’ s COVID-19 status .
Privacy , in this case , only means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your friends , acquaintances , or enemies , stuck the health patrol on you .
The Path from here PathCheck ’ s plan “ is to build on the technology , programs , and standards we ’ re developing today for pandemic response to create a global system for public health , ” per its website , which describes the “ wide array ” of technologies being lined up to “ enable the development of new diagnostics and treatments that result in a healthier world.
” The app is open-source offering full transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processes and PathCheck has positioned itself as a champion of privacy from its inception .
In a paper called Apps Gone Rouge , PathCheck calls on experts to offer advice on how to overcome the public ’ s hesitance when it comes to contact tracing apps .
The foundation has also been pushing for a “ national coordination ” program to bring all contact tracing apps under a single roof within the federal government .
The marketing slush that pervades PathCheck ’ s site includes terms like “ customers ” for potential hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innovation for a better world ” to describe their products and services , as well as grandiose pronouncements and predictions such as asserting it “ will be the global leader in advancing public health with technology , ” while practically gushing over the idea that COVID-19 has “ forever change [ d ] the role of public health.
” If anything has changed , it might be the intensity with which mass self-surveillance technologies have been coming at us since March .
Leveraging the pandemic to come out on top in the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity for the majority of startups venturing into the space .
As a nonprofit , PathCheck assumes the role of benevolent steward for the multiple contact tracing apps , which like the Apple-Google framework tested at that same MIT Media Lab where PathCheck was born , augurs a Trojan horse for the eventual consolidation of all digital pipelines .
Ramesh Raskar , founder and chairman of PathCheck , has been working with Apple , Facebook , and Google on computational privacy and health for years in so-called “ Special Projects ” as posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such project commissioned by Facebook centered around “ digital health , ” which Wikipedia defines as “ the convergence of digital technologies with health , healthcare , living , and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.
” It was as part of this project that Raskar co-wrote a paper for the Bluetooth tracking technology used in the PathCheck app and others .
In the study ’ s executive summary , the authors describe the potential application of the technology in epidemics “ such as COVID-19 through improved contact-tracing , better privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numerous Bluetooth and GPS based mobile applications.
” Apart from sitting as chairman of PathCheck Foundation , Raskar is an Associate Professor at MIT Media Lab and counts a three-year stint at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) as a member of its Information Science and Technology ( ISAT ) study group .
He also sits on the commission of a Swiss AI healthcare foundation , which “ champions the use of AI and digital technology to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ) that funds and scales up AI projects in the healthcare space under the guise of “ health equity ” .
Sponsored by major U.S. technology contractor Cisco , the PathCheck team includes many people who have been involved in the collecting of health data for years .
PathCheck CEO Adam Barrey founded a company that developed management systems for human genomic data , as well as AI technologies to interpret such data in order to deliver “ precision medicine.
” But at the head of their “ global implementation ” strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate student of MIT whose previous background in digital media and minority groups mentorship programs make him the perfect face for the worldwide rollout of a 24/7 surveillance/tracking standard to go hand in hand with a COVID-19 vaccine that is slated to target people that look more like him than his CEO .
PathCheck ’ s ‘ vision ’ includes building “ a new generation of digital solutions for public health [ to drive ] mass adoption of a foundational… platform that includes mobile touch points on every smartphone in the world.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale health strategies ” will become the norm in the post-COVID world – a proposition that should scare every oppressed minority group anywhere .
Feature photo | A woman wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus , holds a smart phone as she leaves a subway in Moscow , Russia , Oct. 19 , 2020 .
Alexander Zemlianichenko | AP

Almost as soon as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic in March, contact tracing apps seem to have sprouted everywhere. Last May, MintPress News reported on a Bluetooth-enabled sports fans tracking app, which was later repurposed to push COVID-19 contact tracing methods. The app, called Care19, was one of the first publicly known implementations of a device-neutral, Android-iOS framework made possible by a noteworthy partnership between Apple and Google.
That same Apple-Google framework underpins another virtually identical app that had managed to fly under the radar of privacy advocates despite being the very first contact tracing app released, predating North Dakota’s Care19 by two months and developed by an MIT Media Lab spinoff called the PathCheck Foundation.
PathCheck is set to be rolled out to the public in Minnesota through the COVIDaware MN program, which will look to bring adoption of the “exposure notification solution” to critical mass, in line with the goal set by PathCheck’s makers since the app was first released in early March 2020. High adoption rates would be “pretty much the only way this app will be able to make a surmountable difference,” according to researchers interviewed by Popular Mechanics in a March piece on PathCheck.
The foundation claims to have already deployed its app in several countries worldwide and many U.S. states and territories, including Guam. The campaign underway in Minnesota will test newer approaches to overcome the failures of Care19 in North Dakota, which only managed to rake together a paltry 5% adoption rate due to heavy public resistance surrounding privacy concerns.
One of the ways PathCheck intends to close the gap in public trust is by anonymizing the data being transferred through novel encryption features. “COVIDaware neither collects nor distributes personal identification,” according to the Star Tribune. But other aspects could make the data privacy issue a moot point.
For instance, the app will be tethered to local and state health institutions, which will send “codes” to users in order to “prevent false reports” and keep contact tracing entities abreast of a user’s COVID-19 status. Privacy, in this case, only means that you won’t know which of your friends, acquaintances, or enemies, stuck the health patrol on you.
The Path from here
PathCheck’s plan “is to build on the technology, programs, and standards we’re developing today for pandemic response to create a global system for public health,” per its website, which describes the “wide array” of technologies being lined up to “enable the development of new diagnostics and treatments that result in a healthier world.”
The app is open-source offering full transparency for developers and others to verify the processes and PathCheck has positioned itself as a champion of privacy from its inception. In a paper called Apps Gone Rouge, PathCheck calls on experts to offer advice on how to overcome the public’s hesitance when it comes to contact tracing apps. The foundation has also been pushing for a “national coordination” program to bring all contact tracing apps under a single roof within the federal government.
The marketing slush that pervades PathCheck’s site includes terms like “customers” for potential hospital patients or banal promises of “driving innovation for a better world” to describe their products and services, as well as grandiose pronouncements and predictions such as asserting it “will be the global leader in advancing public health with technology,” while practically gushing over the idea that COVID-19 has “forever change[d] the role of public health.”
If anything has changed, it might be the intensity with which mass self-surveillance technologies have been coming at us since March. Leveraging the pandemic to come out on top in the “new normal” is just another market opportunity for the majority of startups venturing into the space. As a nonprofit, PathCheck assumes the role of benevolent steward for the multiple contact tracing apps, which like the Apple-Google framework tested at that same MIT Media Lab where PathCheck was born, augurs a Trojan horse for the eventual consolidation of all digital pipelines.
A digital malaise
Ramesh Raskar, founder and chairman of PathCheck, has been working with Apple, Facebook, and Google on computational privacy and health for years in so-called “Special Projects” as posted on his Linked In page. One such project commissioned by Facebook centered around “digital health,” which Wikipedia defines as “the convergence of digital technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.”
It was as part of this project that Raskar co-wrote a paper for the Bluetooth tracking technology used in the PathCheck app and others. In the study’s executive summary, the authors describe the potential application of the technology in epidemics “such as COVID-19 through improved contact-tracing, better privacy and verification for sensitive data sharing in the numerous Bluetooth and GPS based mobile applications.”
Apart from sitting as chairman of PathCheck Foundation, Raskar is an Associate Professor at MIT Media Lab and counts a three-year stint at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a member of its Information Science and Technology (ISAT) study group.
He also sits on the commission of a Swiss AI healthcare foundation, which “champions the use of AI and digital technology to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people” (marketing speak for an encroaching global surveillance state) that funds and scales up AI projects in the healthcare space under the guise of “health equity”.
Sponsored by major U.S. technology contractor Cisco, the PathCheck team includes many people who have been involved in the collecting of health data for years. PathCheck CEO Adam Barrey founded a company that developed management systems for human genomic data, as well as AI technologies to interpret such data in order to deliver “precision medicine.”
But at the head of their “global implementation” strategy is Khahlil Louisy, a very recent graduate student of MIT whose previous background in digital media and minority groups mentorship programs make him the perfect face for the worldwide rollout of a 24/7 surveillance/tracking standard to go hand in hand with a COVID-19 vaccine that is slated to target people that look more like him than his CEO.
PathCheck’s ‘vision’ includes building “a new generation of digital solutions for public health [to drive] mass adoption of a foundational… platform that includes mobile touch points on every smartphone in the world.” The organization also suggests that “population scale health strategies” will become the norm in the post-COVID world – a proposition that should scare every oppressed minority group anywhere.
Feature photo | A woman wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus, holds a smart phone as she leaves a subway in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 19, 2020. Alexander Zemlianichenko | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-11-25--“Superheroes” and “Nice” Guys: Coverage of Biden’s Hawkish Cabinet Picks is Predictably Lacking

Despite President Trump ’ s insistence that he , in fact , won the election , President-elect Joe Biden is already filling many of the top positions in his administration , and corporate media — who Americans rely on to stand up to state power — are in raptures over his choices .
CNN , for example , has been remarkably deferential to the future president and his picks , claiming that “ it ’ s clear that Biden is choosing people who are , indisputably , experts in their fields , ” lauding the appointment of a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power .
CNBC judged approvingly that Biden ’ s team is full of “ experienced institutionalists ” and “ pragmatic realists ” ( a media codeword generally meaning pro-corporate individuals ) .
MSNBC also hailed the “ radical normalcy ” of the new administration , highlighting its diversity of gender and race , concluding that , “ Biden ’ s new list is a reminder of how the executive branch is supposed to work in a functioning administration that values competence.
” But while there may be diversity of background , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all candidates coming from an elite background and agreeing on the economy , war , and foreign policy .
Biden ’ s pick for the important Secretary of State role is Anthony Blinken , a liberal hawk from the Obama administration who pushed for the disastrous war in Libya , supported Saudi Arabia during the ongoing Yemen crisis , and defended Israel from criticism over its treatment of Palestine .
Yet virtually none of this has been brought up .
Indeed , when Blinken ’ s history of working for big money corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaron Rupar casually brushed it off .
“ Blinken participated in society .
The horror , ” he retorted .
After meeting with him , Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead was smitten , declaring his optimism that the hard-working Blinken would return the U.S. to “ Cold War liberal orthodoxies , ” like confronting China and Russia .
The New York Times gave him the grandiose title of “ defender of global alliances , ” while CNN claimed that he would “ lead [ a ] mission to restore [ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world stage.
” Furthermore , it insisted that he was “ an ideal choice ” due to his “ commitment ” to “ international cooperation , refugee issues and humanitarian work , ” also taking pains to humanize him as “ a father of two toddlers who has his own band.
” An entire section of the article was simply headlined “ Nice , ” and was filled with gushing anecdotes about Blinken ’ s apparent kindly personality .
Another potentially worrying pick for those concerned with human rights and endless wars is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In her previous roles as Deputy Director of the CIA and Deputy National Security Advisor , she masterminded the Obama administration ’ s worldwide drone war campaign and oversaw and covered up the CIA ’ s torture campaign , even supporting Gina Haspel ’ s appointment as director of the agency .
But according to CNN ’ s National Security Analyst Samantha Vinograd , Haines is “ quite literally the nicest person any of us have ever met.
” In the famously cutthroat world of intelligence , where nice people rarely even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea that the new DNI chief is a paragon of virtue might prove to be a little hard to swallow , for some .
Vinograd , a former national security state mandarin turned journalist , describes her as a tireless worker , an accomplished intellectual , focussed , kind and dedicated .
Like with Blinken , CNN was at pains to show her purported human side , informing us that she is a brown belt in judo , and loves science and flying planes .
Despite the fact that Vinograd served in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is still a senior advisor at the Biden Institute , CNN insists that she is in no way affiliated with his campaign .
Thus , the fourth estate , who we rely on to keep the powerful in check , are describing Biden ’ s administration in such glowing language that many would be embarrassed to use about their spouses .
Not only that , but they increasingly come from exactly the same class of people that they are meant to be holding to account .
However , if the written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the new administration was turned up to 11 on television .
White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor — a supposedly neutral and objective journalist — appeared on MSNBC to tell viewers that Biden ’ s cabinet was like the Avengers ; “ here are the superheroes to come and save us all , ” she opined , claiming that they would be “ good stewards of America ’ s role in this world , ” and save the world from Trump and his supposed America-first isolationism .
As the United States is overwhelmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s population , the message received by the rest of the planet might be different from that being sent .
Meanwhile , CNN continued to rehabilitate Bush and Trump-era neoconservative hawk John Bolton , inviting him on the network to tell them how much better Biden ’ s capable , experienced appointments are than Trump ’ s .
By design , there was very little pushback to the dominant narrative , and when any appeared , CNN simply cut it off immediately .
When progressive New York congressman Jamaal Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become a key member of the new administration — the network simply cut his feed in mid-sentence , as he was cataloging his history of covering up the police shooting of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald and his campaign to close Chicago schools en masse while mayor .
Any deviation from the official line , it seems , will not be tolerated .
Corporate media have been criticized a great deal over the past four years over how they handled the Trump administration .
While many in the U.S. will be relieved that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a close , it appears that the press will continue to function in a less than ideal manner .
Long ago , veteran media critic Noam Chomsky claimed that “ Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.
” The press ’ singularly and relentlessly optimistic tone since Biden ’ s victory suggests that we might be in for four more years of this .
Feature photo | President-elect Joe Biden ’ s Director of National Intelligence nominee Avril Haines removes her face mask to speak at The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Wilmington , Del .
Carolyn Kaster | 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 .

Despite President Trump’s insistence that he, in fact, won the election, President-elect Joe Biden is already filling many of the top positions in his administration, and corporate media — who Americans rely on to stand up to state power — are in raptures over his choices.
CNN, for example, has been remarkably deferential to the future president and his picks, claiming that “it’s clear that Biden is choosing people who are, indisputably, experts in their fields,” lauding the appointment of a number of women and people of color into positions of power. CNBC judged approvingly that Biden’s team is full of “experienced institutionalists” and “pragmatic realists” (a media codeword generally meaning pro-corporate individuals).
MSNBC also hailed the “radical normalcy” of the new administration, highlighting its diversity of gender and race, concluding that, “Biden’s new list is a reminder of how the executive branch is supposed to work in a functioning administration that values competence.” But while there may be diversity of background, there is little diversity of thought, with all candidates coming from an elite background and agreeing on the economy, war, and foreign policy.
The corporate media can't stop talking about the exciting "diversity" of the incoming Biden Administration. It doesn't matter what skin color or gender people are if they all support US empire, US war crimes, & Wall Street-fueled destruction of the world. That's not diversity. — Lee Camp [Redacted] (@LeeCamp) November 24, 2020
Biden’s pick for the important Secretary of State role is Anthony Blinken, a liberal hawk from the Obama administration who pushed for the disastrous war in Libya, supported Saudi Arabia during the ongoing Yemen crisis, and defended Israel from criticism over its treatment of Palestine. Yet virtually none of this has been brought up. Indeed, when Blinken’s history of working for big money corporate clients was raised online, Vox journalist Aaron Rupar casually brushed it off. “Blinken participated in society. The horror,” he retorted.
After meeting with him, Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead was smitten, declaring his optimism that the hard-working Blinken would return the U.S. to “Cold War liberal orthodoxies,” like confronting China and Russia. The New York Times gave him the grandiose title of “defender of global alliances,” while CNN claimed that he would “lead [a] mission to restore [the] U.S. reputation on [the] world stage.” Furthermore, it insisted that he was “an ideal choice” due to his “commitment” to “international cooperation, refugee issues and humanitarian work,” also taking pains to humanize him as “a father of two toddlers who has his own band.” An entire section of the article was simply headlined “Nice,” and was filled with gushing anecdotes about Blinken’s apparent kindly personality.
Another potentially worrying pick for those concerned with human rights and endless wars is new Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. In her previous roles as Deputy Director of the CIA and Deputy National Security Advisor, she masterminded the Obama administration’s worldwide drone war campaign and oversaw and covered up the CIA’s torture campaign, even supporting Gina Haspel’s appointment as director of the agency.
But according to CNN’s National Security Analyst Samantha Vinograd, Haines is “quite literally the nicest person any of us have ever met.” In the famously cutthroat world of intelligence, where nice people rarely even start, let alone finish first, the idea that the new DNI chief is a paragon of virtue might prove to be a little hard to swallow, for some. Vinograd, a former national security state mandarin turned journalist, describes her as a tireless worker, an accomplished intellectual, focussed, kind and dedicated. Like with Blinken, CNN was at pains to show her purported human side, informing us that she is a brown belt in judo, and loves science and flying planes. Despite the fact that Vinograd served in a high position in the Obama-Biden administration, and is still a senior advisor at the Biden Institute, CNN insists that she is in no way affiliated with his campaign.
Thus, the fourth estate, who we rely on to keep the powerful in check, are describing Biden’s administration in such glowing language that many would be embarrassed to use about their spouses. Not only that, but they increasingly come from exactly the same class of people that they are meant to be holding to account.
However, if the written press were overwhelmingly positive, the excitement over the new administration was turned up to 11 on television. White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor — a supposedly neutral and objective journalist — appeared on MSNBC to tell viewers that Biden’s cabinet was like the Avengers; “here are the superheroes to come and save us all,” she opined, claiming that they would be “good stewards of America’s role in this world,” and save the world from Trump and his supposed America-first isolationism. As the United States is overwhelmingly considered the greatest threat to peace by the world’s population, the message received by the rest of the planet might be different from that being sent.
Meanwhile, CNN continued to rehabilitate Bush and Trump-era neoconservative hawk John Bolton, inviting him on the network to tell them how much better Biden’s capable, experienced appointments are than Trump’s.
By design, there was very little pushback to the dominant narrative, and when any appeared, CNN simply cut it off immediately. When progressive New York congressman Jamaal Bowman began criticizing Rahm Emmanuel — strongly tipped to become a key member of the new administration — the network simply cut his feed in mid-sentence, as he was cataloging his history of covering up the police shooting of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald and his campaign to close Chicago schools en masse while mayor. Any deviation from the official line, it seems, will not be tolerated.
Weird how @JamaalBowmanNY gets cut off here midway through discussing the details of @RahmEmanuel’s disastrous record pic.twitter.com/Kkiy5Natu9 — Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) November 24, 2020
Corporate media have been criticized a great deal over the past four years over how they handled the Trump administration. While many in the U.S. will be relieved that the era of Trump is swiftly drawing to a close, it appears that the press will continue to function in a less than ideal manner. Long ago, veteran media critic Noam Chomsky claimed that “Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media.” The press’ singularly and relentlessly optimistic tone since Biden’s victory suggests that we might be in for four more years of this.
Feature photo | President-elect Joe Biden’s Director of National Intelligence nominee Avril Haines removes her face mask to speak at The Queen theater, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. Carolyn Kaster | 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--2020-11-24--Malawi is Just the Beginning: How Israel Changed the Political Narrative of an Entire Continent

In June 2020 , Malawi ’ s opposition leader , Lazarus Chakwera , defeated Peter Mutharika in a rerun presidential election .
With last year ’ s poll results annulled due to fraud or irregularity , Chakwera , a theologian , pastor , and former president of the Pentecostal denomination group known as the Malawi Assemblies of God , secured over 58 % of the votes in this year ’ s race .
“ I do feel like Lazarus , I ’ ve come back from the dead , it ’ s been a long journey and we feel vindicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC shortly after being sworn in .
“ God spoke to my heart , ” Chakwera said on another occasion , describing his political ambition as a divine calling .
‘ I am not pulling you out of ministry .
Instead , I am extending your ministry .
I want you to get into politics.
” The General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of Malawi , Rev .
Francis Mkandawire , expressed joy for Chakwera ’ s electoral victory .
“ We are indeed grateful to God , however , it demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , to earnestly pray for him and get more involved in the public and marketplace as the salt and light .
Pray for us.
” Five months after his inauguration , Chakwera ’ s Foreign Minister , Eisenhower Mkaka , announced the opening of Malawi ’ s embassy in Jerusalem by the summer of 2021 .
It will become the first African diplomatic mission to operate in occupied Palestine since the 1950s .
In response to the decision , Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said , “ Jerusalem , the eternal capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a bridge of peace for the whole world , and I call on more countries to follow in Malawi ’ s path and move their embassies to Jerusalem , the capital of Israel.
” For decades the African continent has served as a battleground of influence between Israeli lobbyists and supporters of Palestinian rights .
With the election of Lazarus Chakwera , they can count on Malawi as being not only a trusted ally in isolation but a beacon of influence in sub-Saharan Africa .
History attests , however , that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations between African countries and Israel date back to the late 1950s and early 1960s .
As this period saw a wave of independence movements sweeping across the continent , Tel Aviv waged a campaign to lure the aspiring and newly independent nations to its side .
Using economic assistance as bait , the campaign achieved relative success .
By 1967 , more than 25 sub-Saharan African countries had established some form of diplomatic relations with Israel .
However , rifts began to occur during the 1967 Israeli-Arab war and the subsequent occupation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unprecedented move , Zambia and then Zaire ( now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo ) , two countries which previously were known to have very cozy relations with Tel Aviv , voted against a UN resolution sponsored by a bevy of Latin American countries in support of Israel .
The October Israeli-Arab War proved to be the final straw between African countries and Israel .
In line with a resolution of an emergency session of the Organization of African Unity ( O.A.U ) Council of Ministers , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
This watershed moment , much to the chagrin of Israel and its supporters , also saw increased support for the Palestinian cause by African Nations at the UN .
Following the severance of diplomatic relations in the aftermaths of the October Israeli-Arab war , Israel launched a diplomatic offensive to win back favor with sub-Saharan African countries .
The strategy employed carrot and sticks .
In effect , African leaders who showed signs of warming up to Tel Aviv were rewarded with economic and military aid , agriculture and youth support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other hand , African nations that maintained support for the Palestinian cause faced threats of coups and rebel groups backed by the Israeli government .
The late Ugandan President , Milton Obote , accused Israel of having played a key role in the 1971 coup against him by General Idi Amin .
Just a few years prior to the coup , Amin had attended a paratrooper course in Israel and he maintained close relations with Tel Aviv during his tenure as Chief of Staff for Uganda ’ s army .
Obote had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he strengthened ties with African-Arab countries such as Egypt and Sudan .
Israeli viewed such positions as threats to its agenda on the continent .
The Ugandan president ’ s reluctance to allow Israel to channel military aid to the Anya-Nya anti-government rebels in southern Sudan further strained relations .
As expected , Israel denied providing military aid to the rebel group .
After the coup which removed Obote from office , Amin ’ s first international trip was to Israel .
Soon thereafter , he promised to reverse Uganda ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African Unity ( O.A.U . )
and the UN .
Israel went on to provide intelligence and military support to Ethiopian strongman Haile Mariam Mengistu in his war with Eritrean pro-independence fighters who were also seen as being too close to Arab states .
Despite these geopolitical investments , Tel Aviv ’ s positioning on the African continent produced lukewarm results and , by the 1980s , only a handful of African countries had restored full diplomatic relations with Israel .
Many more continued voting against their occupation of Palestine at the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unexpected ally , the newly emergent Pentecostal movement .
Influenced by U.S evangelicals , the Pentecostals would also adopt hardline views on the Palestinian cause .
The Pentecostal wave , which had been sweeping across Africa for the past two decades , reached a crescendo in the early 1990s for a number of reasons .
Researchers such as Malawian writer Mkotama Katenga-Kaunda , have attributed this phenomenon to the Structural Adjustment Programs ( SAPs ) which many sub-Saharan countries were implementing at the behest of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SAPs left many African economies in tatters .
Graduates were unable to find jobs and unemployment spiked exponentially , significant funding to social sectors such as health and education were cut , and crime and political violence increased .
This environment provided a fertile ground for the burgeoning prosperity gospel .
Millions of citizens across Africa who had lost all hope in their governments found refuge in Pentecostal churches that promised instant solutions for issues ranging from unemployment and sickness to finding suitable spouses .
As millions flocked to these churches , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preachers also increased .
In November 1991 , Frederick Chiluba , a trade unionist , self-proclaimed pastor , and devotee of U.S. Tele-Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke , was elected President of Zambia .
Within a month of his election , he declared Zambia to be a Christian nation .
A largely symbolic decision , it served no purpose other than pandering to his Pentecostal base , which had played a key role in ushering him into office .
In another unorthodox decision , Chiluba created a Religious Affairs desk at the state house .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was muscling its way into Zambian politics .
The phenomenon was also taking place in other parts of the African continent .
In 1999 , Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president of Nigeria , Africa ’ s most populous nation and the epicenter of the continent ’ s Pentecostal movement .
While there is no doubt that numerous social and economic factors contributed to Obasanjo ’ s election , Pentecostal organizations such as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria played a key role in mobilizing support for Obasanjo , a Christian from southern Nigeria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S based Nigerian scholar , Ebenezer Obadare refers to as the ” Pentecostalization ” of governance .
As the newly emergent ‘ theocratic elite ’ wormed its ways into presidential palaces across Africa , fundamental changes also occurred in the political discourse .
A key point was the 360-degree turnaround on Afro-Palestine relations .
The African Pentecostal movement ’ s views on Israel and Palestine are largely based on the views of their peers across the Atlantic ocean—U.S evangelicals .
The basis of their position is that Israel is God ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ , that fulfillment of prophecy , will occur on occupied Palestinian land .
They also refer back to the old testament to push the claim that Palestinian land belongs to the Jews , a view which Pentecostal members have also been indoctrinated with .
According to this concept , it is a “ sin ” for one to criticize or condemn any act committed by the state of Israel .
Long before assuming a more prominent political role , Pentecostals had mobilized support for Israel through a number of initiatives including taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a so-called “ religious diplomacy.
” As the movement enjoyed numerical growth and gained more political influence , they started to push pro-Israel propaganda within the corridors of powers .
In 1993 , largely due to Pentecostal lobbying , President Chiluba restored diplomatic relations between Zambia and Israel .
Rapprochement came after ties had been severed by his predecessor , Kenneth Kaunda , twenty years earlier .
Pentecostal religious elites have also used their influence to neutralize any criticism of Israel and its human rights violation by portraying such criticism as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most African governments have , to a large extent , maintained their position and voting bloc at the UN regarding Palestine , politicians and officials are much more timid when it comes to condemning the Israeli occupation and the abuse of Palestinian rights .
The Palestinian cause was pivotal on the agenda of many African political parties in the 1970s and 80s .
Over the last three decades , however , it has been pushed to the fringes of political discourse save for a handful of countries .
In South Africa , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade unions such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions ( COSATU ) and the National Union of Metal Workers ( NUMSA ) have maintained their unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people .
This , despite fierce opposition from Pentecostal organizations , right-wing opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance and African Christian Democratic Party ( ACDP ) , and organizations such as the South Africa Friends of Israel ( SAFISA ) .
Pentecostal organizations , in collaboration with right-wing political and civil organizations , have , in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of Africa what they call , Jerusalem Prayer Breakfasts .
These poorly disguised religious events are , in fact , political forums held for the sole purpose of mobilizing support for Israel and ending African support for the Palestinian cause .
The 2019 breakfast in Uganda ’ s capital of Kampala was attended by several business leaders , diplomats , pro-Israel legislators , and other senior government officials , including the country ’ s first lady , Janet Museveni .
Numerous pro-Israel politicians and political parties have emerged across Africa as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events .
One prime example is the United Progress People ( UPP ) Party of Zambia , which is led by a former Member of Parliament , Saviour Chishimba .
He describes himself as a “ devout Christian and staunch pro-Israel politician.
” Chishimba ’ s party ’ s logo is an Israeli flag , three doves , and the blue star of David .
In an interview with an Israeli newspaper during a visit to Jerusalem , Chishimba described Kaunda ’ s decision to cut ties with Israel as “ the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s economic woes .
He added that “ Israel is a blessed nation and this is why we should be closer to it so the blessings that God pours out on Israel will be spilling to us.
” The UPP is just one example of the many quasi-political organizations that have been established with the help of Pentecostal organizations for the sole purpose of pro-Israeli advocacy and suppressing African support for the self-determination of Palestine .
The deafening silence by African governments and political movements on maneuvers by Benjamin Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not by chance .
It is a reflection of how fast and deep the tentacles of this pro-Israeli , religious-political alliance are spreading on the continent .
South Africa ’ s Economic Freedom Fighters ( EFF ) , African National Congress , NUMSA , COSATU , and Zambia ’ s Socialist Party issued statements condemning the U.S. embassy opening in Jerusalem two years ago .
“ We are very disappointed at African countries which had celebrated the declaration of Jerusalem as the official capital city of Israel by the USA , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EFF .
“ That is the highest form of betrayal because us as Africans should know that colonialism and imperialism have no place in humanity .
It ’ s a violation of human rights to go and occupy the land of Palestinians .
We don ’ t support that.
” Despite voices like Malema , far too many political party leaders in Africa have purposefully decided to feign blind to Israel ’ s illegal actions .
Hence , the question remains .
How long will it take before even those handful of progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s promise of opening an embassy in Jerusalem , there is little doubt that Israel will continue its efforts to gain more allies in Africa , thus diffusing the continent ’ s historic support for Palestine .
Just how Malawi ’ s overture will , according to its Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka , “ contribute towards the country ’ s food security strategy and accelerated and sustained socioeconomic development of the people , ” remains to be seen .
Albeit not having a single chair on the UN security council , Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical voice and voting block at the international body .
A number of African countries are also active members of the Boycott , Disinvest and Sanctions ( BDS ) movement .
Consequently , African progressives and human rights activists do not have the luxury of standing on the sidelines and watching Zionists sympathizers sway the continent ’ s principled position regarding Palestine .
There is an urgent need for progressive African organizations to unite in highlighting the plight of Palestinians and why African support is essential to the cause .
It is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shallow viewpoint perpetuated by pro-Israeli supporters that aim to portray the Israeli occupation as a conflict between Christians and Muslims .
It is important to remind Africans that as a people who experienced centuries of oppression , we have a noble duty to expose and fight oppression wherever it rears its ugly head , irrespective of the color , creed or religious affiliation of the victims .
In the words of Nelson Mandela , Feature photo | An African migrant boy holds an Israeli flag during a demonstration against the deportation of African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oded Balilty | AP Clinton Nzala is a Political Strategist and Analyst based in Quito , Ecuador .
He works for Pan-Latin American news outlet , teleSUR .
He has worked with various political and social movements across Africa as a mobilizer and organizer .

In June 2020, Malawi’s opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera, defeated Peter Mutharika in a rerun presidential election. With last year’s poll results annulled due to fraud or irregularity, Chakwera, a theologian, pastor, and former president of the Pentecostal denomination group known as the Malawi Assemblies of God, secured over 58% of the votes in this year’s race. “I do feel like Lazarus, I’ve come back from the dead, it’s been a long journey and we feel vindicated in a way,” he told the BBC shortly after being sworn in.
“God spoke to my heart,” Chakwera said on another occasion, describing his political ambition as a divine calling. ‘I am not pulling you out of ministry. Instead, I am extending your ministry. I want you to get into politics.” The General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of Malawi, Rev. Francis Mkandawire, expressed joy for Chakwera’s electoral victory. “We are indeed grateful to God, however, it demands of us, as evangelicals in the nation, to earnestly pray for him and get more involved in the public and marketplace as the salt and light. Pray for us.”
Five months after his inauguration, Chakwera’s Foreign Minister, Eisenhower Mkaka, announced the opening of Malawi’s embassy in Jerusalem by the summer of 2021. It will become the first African diplomatic mission to operate in occupied Palestine since the 1950s. In response to the decision, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said, “Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Israel, will be a bridge of peace for the whole world, and I call on more countries to follow in Malawi’s path and move their embassies to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.”
For decades the African continent has served as a battleground of influence between Israeli lobbyists and supporters of Palestinian rights. With the election of Lazarus Chakwera, they can count on Malawi as being not only a trusted ally in isolation but a beacon of influence in sub-Saharan Africa. History attests, however, that this has not always been the case.
History of Africa-Israeli relations
Relations between African countries and Israel date back to the late 1950s and early 1960s. As this period saw a wave of independence movements sweeping across the continent, Tel Aviv waged a campaign to lure the aspiring and newly independent nations to its side. Using economic assistance as bait, the campaign achieved relative success. By 1967, more than 25 sub-Saharan African countries had established some form of diplomatic relations with Israel. However, rifts began to occur during the 1967 Israeli-Arab war and the subsequent occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
In an unprecedented move, Zambia and then Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo), two countries which previously were known to have very cozy relations with Tel Aviv, voted against a UN resolution sponsored by a bevy of Latin American countries in support of Israel. The October Israeli-Arab War proved to be the final straw between African countries and Israel. In line with a resolution of an emergency session of the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U) Council of Ministers, more than 40 African countries broke diplomatic ties with Israel. This watershed moment, much to the chagrin of Israel and its supporters, also saw increased support for the Palestinian cause by African Nations at the UN.
Israeli diplomatic offensive
Following the severance of diplomatic relations in the aftermaths of the October Israeli-Arab war, Israel launched a diplomatic offensive to win back favor with sub-Saharan African countries. The strategy employed carrot and sticks. In effect, African leaders who showed signs of warming up to Tel Aviv were rewarded with economic and military aid, agriculture and youth support programs, and other incentives. On the other hand, African nations that maintained support for the Palestinian cause faced threats of coups and rebel groups backed by the Israeli government.
The late Ugandan President, Milton Obote, accused Israel of having played a key role in the 1971 coup against him by General Idi Amin. Just a few years prior to the coup, Amin had attended a paratrooper course in Israel and he maintained close relations with Tel Aviv during his tenure as Chief of Staff for Uganda’s army.
Obote had steadily fallen out of favor with Israel as he strengthened ties with African-Arab countries such as Egypt and Sudan. Israeli viewed such positions as threats to its agenda on the continent. The Ugandan president’s reluctance to allow Israel to channel military aid to the Anya-Nya anti-government rebels in southern Sudan further strained relations. As expected, Israel denied providing military aid to the rebel group. After the coup which removed Obote from office, Amin’s first international trip was to Israel. Soon thereafter, he promised to reverse Uganda’s pro-Palestine position at both the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U.) and the UN.
Israel went on to provide intelligence and military support to Ethiopian strongman Haile Mariam Mengistu in his war with Eritrean pro-independence fighters who were also seen as being too close to Arab states. Despite these geopolitical investments, Tel Aviv’s positioning on the African continent produced lukewarm results and, by the 1980s, only a handful of African countries had restored full diplomatic relations with Israel. Many more continued voting against their occupation of Palestine at the UN.
Enter Pentecostalism
The 1990s gifted Israeli with an unexpected ally, the newly emergent Pentecostal movement. Influenced by U.S evangelicals, the Pentecostals would also adopt hardline views on the Palestinian cause. The Pentecostal wave, which had been sweeping across Africa for the past two decades, reached a crescendo in the early 1990s for a number of reasons.
Researchers such as Malawian writer Mkotama Katenga-Kaunda, have attributed this phenomenon to the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) which many sub-Saharan countries were implementing at the behest of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The implementation of the SAPs left many African economies in tatters. Graduates were unable to find jobs and unemployment spiked exponentially, significant funding to social sectors such as health and education were cut, and crime and political violence increased. This environment provided a fertile ground for the burgeoning prosperity gospel.
Millions of citizens across Africa who had lost all hope in their governments found refuge in Pentecostal churches that promised instant solutions for issues ranging from unemployment and sickness to finding suitable spouses. As millions flocked to these churches, the influence and political clout of the charismatic preachers also increased.
In November 1991, Frederick Chiluba, a trade unionist, self-proclaimed pastor, and devotee of U.S. Tele-Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, was elected President of Zambia. Within a month of his election, he declared Zambia to be a Christian nation. A largely symbolic decision, it served no purpose other than pandering to his Pentecostal base, which had played a key role in ushering him into office.
In another unorthodox decision, Chiluba created a Religious Affairs desk at the state house. Such decisions exemplified just how much Pentecostalism was muscling its way into Zambian politics. The phenomenon was also taking place in other parts of the African continent.
In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and the epicenter of the continent’s Pentecostal movement. While there is no doubt that numerous social and economic factors contributed to Obasanjo’s election, Pentecostal organizations such as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria played a key role in mobilizing support for Obasanjo, a Christian from southern Nigeria. This period marked the beginning of what the U.S based Nigerian scholar, Ebenezer Obadare refers to as the ”Pentecostalization” of governance.
As the newly emergent ‘theocratic elite’ wormed its ways into presidential palaces across Africa, fundamental changes also occurred in the political discourse. A key point was the 360-degree turnaround on Afro-Palestine relations.
The African Pentecostal movement’s views on Israel and Palestine are largely based on the views of their peers across the Atlantic ocean—U.S evangelicals. The basis of their position is that Israel is God’s chosen nation and the return of Jesus Christ, that fulfillment of prophecy, will occur on occupied Palestinian land. They also refer back to the old testament to push the claim that Palestinian land belongs to the Jews, a view which Pentecostal members have also been indoctrinated with. According to this concept, it is a “sin” for one to criticize or condemn any act committed by the state of Israel.
Long before assuming a more prominent political role, Pentecostals had mobilized support for Israel through a number of initiatives including taking members on tours of Israel as part of a so-called “religious diplomacy.” As the movement enjoyed numerical growth and gained more political influence, they started to push pro-Israel propaganda within the corridors of powers.
In 1993, largely due to Pentecostal lobbying, President Chiluba restored diplomatic relations between Zambia and Israel. Rapprochement came after ties had been severed by his predecessor, Kenneth Kaunda, twenty years earlier. Pentecostal religious elites have also used their influence to neutralize any criticism of Israel and its human rights violation by portraying such criticism as an attack on the Christian faith. While most African governments have, to a large extent, maintained their position and voting bloc at the UN regarding Palestine, politicians and officials are much more timid when it comes to condemning the Israeli occupation and the abuse of Palestinian rights.
The Palestinian cause was pivotal on the agenda of many African political parties in the 1970s and 80s. Over the last three decades, however, it has been pushed to the fringes of political discourse save for a handful of countries. In South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) and trade unions such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the National Union of Metal Workers (NUMSA) have maintained their unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people. This, despite fierce opposition from Pentecostal organizations, right-wing opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), and organizations such as the South Africa Friends of Israel (SAFISA).
Pentecostal organizations, in collaboration with right-wing political and civil organizations, have, in the last couple of years, organized in different parts of Africa what they call, Jerusalem Prayer Breakfasts. These poorly disguised religious events are, in fact, political forums held for the sole purpose of mobilizing support for Israel and ending African support for the Palestinian cause. The 2019 breakfast in Uganda’s capital of Kampala was attended by several business leaders, diplomats, pro-Israel legislators, and other senior government officials, including the country’s first lady, Janet Museveni.
Numerous pro-Israel politicians and political parties have emerged across Africa as a result of Jerusalem Prayer Breakfasts and similar events. One prime example is the United Progress People (UPP) Party of Zambia, which is led by a former Member of Parliament, Saviour Chishimba. He describes himself as a “devout Christian and staunch pro-Israel politician.” Chishimba’s party’s logo is an Israeli flag, three doves, and the blue star of David.
In an interview with an Israeli newspaper during a visit to Jerusalem, Chishimba described Kaunda’s decision to cut ties with Israel as “the worst atrocity” and blamed the decision for the country’s economic woes. He added that “Israel is a blessed nation and this is why we should be closer to it so the blessings that God pours out on Israel will be spilling to us.”
The UPP is just one example of the many quasi-political organizations that have been established with the help of Pentecostal organizations for the sole purpose of pro-Israeli advocacy and suppressing African support for the self-determination of Palestine.
The deafening silence by African governments and political movements on maneuvers by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to annex Palestinian territories is not by chance. It is a reflection of how fast and deep the tentacles of this pro-Israeli, religious-political alliance are spreading on the continent. South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), African National Congress, NUMSA, COSATU, and Zambia’s Socialist Party issued statements condemning the U.S. embassy opening in Jerusalem two years ago.
“We are very disappointed at African countries which had celebrated the declaration of Jerusalem as the official capital city of Israel by the USA,” said Julius Malema, leader of the EFF. “That is the highest form of betrayal because us as Africans should know that colonialism and imperialism have no place in humanity. It’s a violation of human rights to go and occupy the land of Palestinians. We don’t support that.”
Despite voices like Malema, far too many political party leaders in Africa have purposefully decided to feign blind to Israel’s illegal actions. Hence, the question remains. How long will it take before even those handful of progressive voices are silenced?
Way forward
Basking in Malawi’s promise of opening an embassy in Jerusalem, there is little doubt that Israel will continue its efforts to gain more allies in Africa, thus diffusing the continent’s historic support for Palestine. Just how Malawi’s overture will, according to its Foreign Minister Eisenhower Mkaka, “contribute towards the country’s food security strategy and accelerated and sustained socioeconomic development of the people,” remains to be seen.
Albeit not having a single chair on the UN security council, Africa’s 54 countries still remain a critical voice and voting block at the international body. A number of African countries are also active members of the Boycott, Disinvest and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Consequently, African progressives and human rights activists do not have the luxury of standing on the sidelines and watching Zionists sympathizers sway the continent’s principled position regarding Palestine.
There is an urgent need for progressive African organizations to unite in highlighting the plight of Palestinians and why African support is essential to the cause. It is also necessary for these organizations to expose the shallow viewpoint perpetuated by pro-Israeli supporters that aim to portray the Israeli occupation as a conflict between Christians and Muslims. It is important to remind Africans that as a people who experienced centuries of oppression, we have a noble duty to expose and fight oppression wherever it rears its ugly head, irrespective of the color, creed or religious affiliation of the victims. In the words of Nelson Mandela,
We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the Freedom of Palestinians.’’
Feature photo | An African migrant boy holds an Israeli flag during a demonstration against the deportation of African migrants, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Oded Balilty | AP
Clinton Nzala is a Political Strategist and Analyst based in Quito, Ecuador. He works for Pan-Latin American news outlet, teleSUR. He has worked with various political and social movements across Africa as a mobilizer and organizer.


mintpressnews--2020-11-23--CIA Partners with Google, Amazon and IBM in Latest Big Tech Procurement Drive

The vaunted “ 17 intelligence agencies ” that comprise the U.S. intel community will be sharing a network of private-sector cloud computing service providers which includes Microsoft , Google , Oracle , IBM , and Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) as part of a 15-year contract said to be worth tens of billions of dollars .
AWS currently holds the sole contract to provide cloud computing services to a number of intelligence agencies , including the FBI and the NSA .
That contract is set to expire in 2023 and this new award – managed by the CIA – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privileged position in the federal money sweepstakes , which had already taken a hard hit when Microsoft was unexpectedly chosen over Bezos ’ company for the Department of Defense ’ s own cloud services contract for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure ( JEDI ) program .
The Central Intelligence Agency will take full advantage of its access to money without oversight to disburse the government funds at the agency ’ s discretion .
Although speculated to rise into the tens of billions , the CIA has no plans to disclose the real value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cloud Enterprise ( C2E ) procurement program was unveiled in February by the premier U.S. spy agency in a bid to establish a cloud computing service platform for the country ’ s intelligence agencies separate from JEDI , which remains enmeshed in a protracted legal contest with AWS and is two years behind implementation .
The five tech giants will compete with each other for “ task orders ” that come in from the multitude of intelligence agencies throughout the country and will span every security clearance level up to and including top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the building of infrastructure and all other basic cloud services , as well as professional services and public-facing services .
Many seem surprised by the multi-contractor , ad hoc nature of the C2E awards because it “ appears not to settle on a particular cloud provider ” and while these dynamics do stray from the relatively recent trend of sole-contract awards and tacit monopolies many corporations have enjoyed through similar public-private partnerships , this particular practice of pitting contractors against each other for services requisitioned by the government is not new .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the military industrial complex and its historical origins at the height of the British empire .
The start of the Glorious Revolution in 1688 marked the beginning of 125 years of constant war for the global superpower of the day and the slow but inexorable rise of an industry of war made up exclusively of freelancers who would make the guns , rifles , and bullets their bloodthirsty Queen required .
As the empire grew , the processes for the production of weapons underwent a dramatic change from artisanal modes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest army and navy in the world , which was pillaging and extracting resources to fuel the burgeoning enterprise of capitalism .
This period also fine-tuned the relationship between the state and independent contractors , with the former establishing laws governing them in order to leverage their overwhelming advantage .
Other strategies were also employed to both suppress the price the Crown paid for materiel and to make sure that no single contractor held too big a stake in the supply chain .
In her book “ Empire of Guns , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroys the myth that the Industrial Revolution was the result of a cotton-picking machine when even a cursory look at the history shows that it was guns and a state engaged in perpetual war that laid the foundations of our current economic paradigm .
Now , we stand on the threshold of the so-called “ Fourth Industrial Revolution ” in a world that has perfected weapons of war to atomic levels .
New ‘ cyberweapons ’ are being forged and it is only fitting that the war industry , led today by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ origins to maintain its own monopoly on human suffering and devastation in the name of profit .
The public-private partnership has been another significant trend that also mirrors a ubiquitous trend in Victorian England .
But , in today ’ s world , a parallel legal system has grown alongside the state ’ s war industry and is also now at the disposal of the corporations who wish to dispute any deal , leading to considerable delays in the execution of contracts .
Cases like the JEDI suit affect the military readiness goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not move forward with a particular initiative due to litigation .
Another recent case is holding up the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency ’ s ( CISA ) efforts to centralize inflow and outflow of data regarding cyber-threats .
In October , the Government Services Agency ( GSA ) , awarded a $ 13 Million-dollar contract to a company called EnDyna to “ create a centralized database that agencies can use to report , discover and take actions against cyber threat information.
” A much larger competitor , HackerOne , filed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure to meet eligibility requirements and the smaller company ’ s competence to carry out the work .
Technicalities like these can hold up a project in court for years , so it makes perfect sense for the state-run war industry to return to its roots and apply the tried and true principles of divide and conquer against the people making their guns , whether real or virtual .
By taking the first few spots on the Big Tech pecking order and putting them in a room to duke it out for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizing the growing power of these firms and is unleashing the CIA to curb it and diminish threats to the supply chain of the twenty-first century ’ s permanent war economy .
Feature photo | The Central Intelligence Agency flag is displayed , partially cast in a shadow .
David Goldman | AP

The vaunted “17 intelligence agencies” that comprise the U.S. intel community will be sharing a network of private-sector cloud computing service providers which includes Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as part of a 15-year contract said to be worth tens of billions of dollars.
AWS currently holds the sole contract to provide cloud computing services to a number of intelligence agencies, including the FBI and the NSA. That contract is set to expire in 2023 and this new award – managed by the CIA – will further weaken Amazon’s once privileged position in the federal money sweepstakes, which had already taken a hard hit when Microsoft was unexpectedly chosen over Bezos’ company for the Department of Defense’s own cloud services contract for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program.
The Central Intelligence Agency will take full advantage of its access to money without oversight to disburse the government funds at the agency’s discretion. Although speculated to rise into the tens of billions, the CIA has no plans to disclose the real value of the C2E contracts. The Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E) procurement program was unveiled in February by the premier U.S. spy agency in a bid to establish a cloud computing service platform for the country’s intelligence agencies separate from JEDI, which remains enmeshed in a protracted legal contest with AWS and is two years behind implementation.
The five tech giants will compete with each other for “task orders” that come in from the multitude of intelligence agencies throughout the country and will span every security clearance level up to and including top secret clearance. The contract calls for the building of infrastructure and all other basic cloud services, as well as professional services and public-facing services.
The more things change…
Many seem surprised by the multi-contractor, ad hoc nature of the C2E awards because it “appears not to settle on a particular cloud provider” and while these dynamics do stray from the relatively recent trend of sole-contract awards and tacit monopolies many corporations have enjoyed through similar public-private partnerships, this particular practice of pitting contractors against each other for services requisitioned by the government is not new.
In fact, such practices are an intrinsic part of the military industrial complex and its historical origins at the height of the British empire. The start of the Glorious Revolution in 1688 marked the beginning of 125 years of constant war for the global superpower of the day and the slow but inexorable rise of an industry of war made up exclusively of freelancers who would make the guns, rifles, and bullets their bloodthirsty Queen required.
As the empire grew, the processes for the production of weapons underwent a dramatic change from artisanal modes to full-fledged factory-style production; all spurred by the biggest army and navy in the world, which was pillaging and extracting resources to fuel the burgeoning enterprise of capitalism.
This period also fine-tuned the relationship between the state and independent contractors, with the former establishing laws governing them in order to leverage their overwhelming advantage. Other strategies were also employed to both suppress the price the Crown paid for materiel and to make sure that no single contractor held too big a stake in the supply chain.
In her book “Empire of Guns,” Priya Satia details this entire process and destroys the myth that the Industrial Revolution was the result of a cotton-picking machine when even a cursory look at the history shows that it was guns and a state engaged in perpetual war that laid the foundations of our current economic paradigm.
Now, we stand on the threshold of the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” in a world that has perfected weapons of war to atomic levels. New ‘cyberweapons’ are being forged and it is only fitting that the war industry, led today by the United States, would return to its origins to maintain its own monopoly on human suffering and devastation in the name of profit.
Return to the roots
The public-private partnership has been another significant trend that also mirrors a ubiquitous trend in Victorian England. But, in today’s world, a parallel legal system has grown alongside the state’s war industry and is also now at the disposal of the corporations who wish to dispute any deal, leading to considerable delays in the execution of contracts.
Cases like the JEDI suit affect the military readiness goals of the national security state if it cannot move forward with a particular initiative due to litigation. Another recent case is holding up the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency’s (CISA) efforts to centralize inflow and outflow of data regarding cyber-threats.
In October, the Government Services Agency (GSA), awarded a $13 Million-dollar contract to a company called EnDyna to “create a centralized database that agencies can use to report, discover and take actions against cyber threat information.” A much larger competitor, HackerOne, filed a protest questioning the award on grounds of failure to meet eligibility requirements and the smaller company’s competence to carry out the work.
Technicalities like these can hold up a project in court for years, so it makes perfect sense for the state-run war industry to return to its roots and apply the tried and true principles of divide and conquer against the people making their guns, whether real or virtual. By taking the first few spots on the Big Tech pecking order and putting them in a room to duke it out for a government contract, the war establishment is recognizing the growing power of these firms and is unleashing the CIA to curb it and diminish threats to the supply chain of the twenty-first century’s permanent war economy.
Feature photo | The Central Intelligence Agency flag is displayed, partially cast in a shadow. David Goldman | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-11-30--France’s New Security Law May Have Just Sparked a “George Floyd” Moment

Award-winning Syrian photographer Ameer Alhalbi lies dazed on the ground .
His head is heavily bruised and bandaged , blood covers his face , arms , and much of his body .
Lengths of cotton wool have been stuffed up his broken nose , giving him an almost comical appearance .
Alhalbi has been badly beaten by police .
But this is not Syria , it is Paris , where he was covering — ironically — huge , nationwide protests against police brutality this weekend .
Perhaps even more concerning is that new laws pushed through by the government of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s National Assembly ( akin to the U.S. House of Representatives ) mean that sharing images of Alhalbi or other victims of police brutality might soon be considered illegal .
Article 24 of the country ’ s new national security bill , which now only needs to be ratified by the Senate , specifically outlaws the publishing and dissemination of images of police that undermine their physical or psychological “ integrity , ” and is punishable with a fine of up to €45,000 and up to one year in jail .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a manner would be against the law , but questions have been raised about how liberally authorities would interpret the nebulous language of the new edict .
Media unions and human rights groups warn that it could prevent journalists from documenting police abuses .
The National Assembly ’ s decision to approve the law last week sparked large protests in many major cities around France , including Bordeaux , Lille , Montpellier , and Nantes .
However , an incident caught on camera on Saturday threw large amounts of fuel on the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ size and intensity .
Images from mobile phones and closed-circuit television showed an unprovoked police attack on a young black music producer at his place of work .
A group of four officers can be seen chasing after Michel Zecler , following him from outside into his studio , where they kick , punch and beat him with truncheons .
Zecler also alleges they shouted racial abuse while they assailed him .
Before the videos went viral on social media , the officers testified that Zecler had , in fact , attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The officers have now been charged with “ deliberate violence ” and with “ falsifying statements.
” Two of the gang of four , including a 44-year-old senior officer with the rank of brigadier , remain in custody , while two others have been released .
The viral images provoked a storm of condemnation across the country this weekend , and propelled as many as 500,000 people into the streets , with demonstrations in dozens of cities .
Protestors marched through the streets , setting light to cars , damaging buildings , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 98 were injured nationwide .
Many of Paris ’ iconic boulevards resembled a war zone as thousands of demonstrators pitched battle with lines of police in riot gear .
President Macron said he was “ very shocked ” by the footage of the police attack on Zecler , yet continues to be a driving force behind the new security law , under which many have noted that the images might never have come to light , given as they essentially identify the Parisien officers and clearly undermine their integrity or authority .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Zecler would have been facing prosecution himself .
Although the bill and the protests against it are dominating French politics , the story has been covered sparsely in the American corporate press , with no coverage whatsoever in MSNBC , CBS News , or CNBC .
Fox News , meanwhile , reprinted one Associated Press article , featuring an egregious , uncorrected error in its subheadline , asserting that protestors were shooting tear gas at themselves .
While foreign desks have been seriously cut in recent years , huge demonstrations in central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover .
Lebanese political commentator Sarah Abdallah suggested that if the rallies had been happening in countries antagonistic to the United States , they would have been front-page news .
Certainly , similar protests in Iran and Hong Kong dominated the news cycles last year , prompting constant reaction from Mike Pompeo .
The Secretary of State is yet to comment on the events in France , suggesting that they are not at the front and center of his thoughts .
President Macron came to power in 2017 , winning in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenger Marine Le Pen .
A strong believer in neoliberalism and an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , he has insisted that France must not merely be reformed , but transformed , and has attempted to radically alter the shape of French society , away from a social democratic model to one more resembling the United States .
Almost immediately after gaining the presidency , however , his average approval rating tumbled and has not risen above 40 % since .
Indeed , the 42-year-old former investment banker has faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general public .
His attempts to increase the cost of fuel in 2018 sparked the Yellow Vest movement across the country .
Meanwhile , his plans to raise the age of retirement and reform France ’ s pension system was met with a months-long general strike that paralyzed the country last winter .
Despite losing over 50,000 people to the coronavirus pandemic , he has seen his popularity increase this year due to the government ’ s financial response to the virus , which included aid to small businesses and paying employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appears possible that France might be headed for its own “ George Floyd ” moment , where its racial injustices are finally reckoned with .
Feature photo | Assa Traore , center , sister of Adama Traore attends a demonstration against a security law that would restrict sharing images of police , Nov. 28 , 2020 in Paris .
Francois Mori | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Award-winning Syrian photographer Ameer Alhalbi lies dazed on the ground. His head is heavily bruised and bandaged, blood covers his face, arms, and much of his body. Lengths of cotton wool have been stuffed up his broken nose, giving him an almost comical appearance. Alhalbi has been badly beaten by police. But this is not Syria, it is Paris, where he was covering — ironically — huge, nationwide protests against police brutality this weekend.
Condemnation after award-winning Syrian photojournalist Ameer Alhalbi wounded during Paris protest https://t.co/G5yua9jRat pic.twitter.com/itGHJUwgRH — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 29, 2020
Perhaps even more concerning is that new laws pushed through by the government of Emmanuel Macron and passed by France’s National Assembly (akin to the U.S. House of Representatives) mean that sharing images of Alhalbi or other victims of police brutality might soon be considered illegal.
Article 24 of the country’s new national security bill, which now only needs to be ratified by the Senate, specifically outlaws the publishing and dissemination of images of police that undermine their physical or psychological “integrity,” and is punishable with a fine of up to €45,000 and up to one year in jail. The bill specifically states that filming police in such a manner would be against the law, but questions have been raised about how liberally authorities would interpret the nebulous language of the new edict. Media unions and human rights groups warn that it could prevent journalists from documenting police abuses.
The National Assembly’s decision to approve the law last week sparked large protests in many major cities around France, including Bordeaux, Lille, Montpellier, and Nantes. However, an incident caught on camera on Saturday threw large amounts of fuel on the fire of resentment, drastically increasing the demonstrations’ size and intensity.
Images from mobile phones and closed-circuit television showed an unprovoked police attack on a young black music producer at his place of work. A group of four officers can be seen chasing after Michel Zecler, following him from outside into his studio, where they kick, punch and beat him with truncheons. Zecler also alleges they shouted racial abuse while they assailed him.
Three Paris officers are being held over for the beating of music producer, Michel Zecler. They will remain in custody for now.
"Judicial authorities wanted to make sure that the officers didnt have contact with one another and they couldn't exert any https://t.co/L9cJT0Bdgj — PMUnited News (@PmunitedN) November 30, 2020
Before the videos went viral on social media, the officers testified that Zecler had, in fact, attacked them, and was resisting arrest. The officers have now been charged with “deliberate violence” and with “falsifying statements.” Two of the gang of four, including a 44-year-old senior officer with the rank of brigadier, remain in custody, while two others have been released.
The viral images provoked a storm of condemnation across the country this weekend, and propelled as many as 500,000 people into the streets, with demonstrations in dozens of cities. Protestors marched through the streets, setting light to cars, damaging buildings, and clashing with police, of whom a reported 98 were injured nationwide. Many of Paris’ iconic boulevards resembled a war zone as thousands of demonstrators pitched battle with lines of police in riot gear.
President Macron said he was “very shocked” by the footage of the police attack on Zecler, yet continues to be a driving force behind the new security law, under which many have noted that the images might never have come to light, given as they essentially identify the Parisien officers and clearly undermine their integrity or authority. Without the footage, it is possible that Zecler would have been facing prosecution himself.
Protests against a new bill in France that restricts filming police grew stronger this week after a video emerged of police racially abusing and beating a Black man. pic.twitter.com/2UPNdOQQSh — DW News (@dwnews) November 30, 2020
Although the bill and the protests against it are dominating French politics, the story has been covered sparsely in the American corporate press, with no coverage whatsoever in MSNBC, CBS News, or CNBC. Fox News, meanwhile, reprinted one Associated Press article, featuring an egregious, uncorrected error in its subheadline, asserting that protestors were shooting tear gas at themselves.
While foreign desks have been seriously cut in recent years, huge demonstrations in central Paris should not have been too difficult to cover. Lebanese political commentator Sarah Abdallah suggested that if the rallies had been happening in countries antagonistic to the United States, they would have been front-page news. Certainly, similar protests in Iran and Hong Kong dominated the news cycles last year, prompting constant reaction from Mike Pompeo. The Secretary of State is yet to comment on the events in France, suggesting that they are not at the front and center of his thoughts.
President Macron came to power in 2017, winning in the final round of the election against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. A strong believer in neoliberalism and an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he has insisted that France must not merely be reformed, but transformed, and has attempted to radically alter the shape of French society, away from a social democratic model to one more resembling the United States. Almost immediately after gaining the presidency, however, his average approval rating tumbled and has not risen above 40% since.
Indeed, the 42-year-old former investment banker has faced almost constant resistance to his agenda from the general public. His attempts to increase the cost of fuel in 2018 sparked the Yellow Vest movement across the country. Meanwhile, his plans to raise the age of retirement and reform France’s pension system was met with a months-long general strike that paralyzed the country last winter. Despite losing over 50,000 people to the coronavirus pandemic, he has seen his popularity increase this year due to the government’s financial response to the virus, which included aid to small businesses and paying employees to stay home. Despite this, it appears possible that France might be headed for its own “George Floyd” moment, where its racial injustices are finally reckoned with.
Feature photo | Assa Traore, center, sister of Adama Traore attends a demonstration against a security law that would restrict sharing images of police, Nov. 28, 2020 in Paris. Francois Mori | 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.