mintpressnews--2020-07-20--Mike Pompeo Delineates Atlanticist Playbook To Target China, Russia and Iran

Last week , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down for a teleconference Q & A with Hudson Institute senior fellow , Marie-Josee Kravis at the Economic Club of New York ; a think tank founded at the start of the 20th century , which broaches issues surrounding “ social , economic and political questions.
” The organization is currently chaired by the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and counts several corporate leaders from some of the country ’ s most important institutions on its board of trustees , such as Mastercard , Goldman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the occasion of the 548th meeting , the top American diplomat was lobbed a number of canned questions regarding the “ state of U.S.-China relations ” by Kravis .
He immediately brought up Henry Kissinger ’ s secret trip to Beijing in the 1970s when Nixon ’ s secretary of state set up the eventual ‘ opening ’ of China , asserting that the last four decades of “ dialogue-at-all-costs diplomacy ” has failed to achieve “ the outcome that I think Dr. Kissinger hoped [ for ] .
” Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration thuggery ” claimed that China has shown a pattern of persistent “ unilateral aggression ” over the years and “ thievery ” of intellectual property that has subverted the “ good work done by American businesses ” and directly blamed the Chinese for the evisceration of the American middle class ; an accusation that rings especially hollow coming from a Koch-sponsored politician , but is nothing more than the State Department ’ s chief mouthpiece executing the narrative dictates of the U.S. National Security Council , which long-ago established a strategic policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become a self-reliant economic powerhouse and its inexorable encroachment on the West ’ s designs over Eurasia .
After a few remarks about the recent policy change regarding the South China Sea , Pompeo went on talk about the “ fairness and reciprocity and security ” that president Trump is ostensibly trying to obtain for “ the American people ” via the ongoing trade war with China , but instead of tackling the issue directly , framed it as a matter of China ’ s disrespect for the “ rule of law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ virus [ that ] broke out in Wuhan ” and “ what they did with respect to the World Health Organization ” , regurgitating long-held narratives of China ’ s supposed interference in the WHO ’ s response .
Once the anti-Xi Jinping stage was set , Kravis turned the conversation to broader Atlanticist perspectives from the point of view of the U.S. State Department ’ s attempts to bring the EU into stricter alignment with U.S. goals in the region .
She asked about the call Pompeo held with recently-installed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 EU foreign ministers two weeks ago , in which a “ distinct bilateral dialogue focused on China ” was suggested .
Pompeo argued that the “ tide has turned ” on the EU ’ s resistance to take a hardline approach to China , claiming that Europe was now open to it as a result of the “ work that we have done to demonstrate to the world the threat that the Chinese Communist Party poses to them.
” He provided two examples that were meant to buttress his point , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One centered around the UK ’ s decision to exclude China from its implementation of 5G technology , and the other was India ’ s move to excise 50 Chinese information applications that were operating in that country .
The call with the EU ministers also comes on the heels of big changes at NATO , as Germany assumes the presidency of the EU and the Chairmanship of NATO ’ s National Reserve Forces Committee , even as Trump plans to slash its troop numbers in the pivotal nation – a plan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon and Congress .
The subject of China ’ s relationship with Iran and Venezuela was touched on towards the latter part of the interview , in which Pompeo warned about the end of the JCPOA , known colloquially as the Iran Nuclear deal ; stating that it “ would be tragic ” and represent the imminent transformation of Iran into “ the world ’ s largest state sponsor of terror.
” He said that he hoped the arms embargo could be extended diplomatically and that the UN Security Council – presently headed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go along with it , but cited Democrats Kerry , Sherman and former president Obama to express the bipartisan will to “ unilaterally reimpose ( sic ) all of those sanctions ” in case they didn ’ t .
The topic of Venezuela ’ s gasoline sales to Iran was touched on briefly , as was the static situation with North Korea before returning to China and WHO , specifically .
Kravis posed the question of which “ institution or organization or format , process ” would be best to “ replace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sharing of data , sharing of research.
” Pompeo touted PEPFAR , President ’ s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief , as precedent for a U.S. action in response to the “ last time the WHO failed with respect to a pandemic , ” and praised Deborah Birx – head of Trump ’ s COVID-19 task force – whose medical license has been expired for a decade .
The top American diplomat expressed hope that the U.S. would be able to “ build a coalition ” around this issue , as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was about to lead the “ World Intellectual Property Organization ” and had successfully built a “ coalition ” to insert the State Department ’ s preferred candidate in the position .
The softball Q & A ended on an ironic note when Kravis asked Pompeo about diversity in the State Department .
“ We don ’ t have enough Mandarin speakers here.
” he conceded .
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the National Constitution Center about the Commission on Unalienable Rights , July 16 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP

Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down for a teleconference Q&A with Hudson Institute senior fellow, Marie-Josee Kravis at the Economic Club of New York; a think tank founded at the start of the 20th century, which broaches issues surrounding “social, economic and political questions.” The organization is currently chaired by the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and counts several corporate leaders from some of the country’s most important institutions on its board of trustees, such as Mastercard, Goldman Sachs, PayPal, and many others.
On the occasion of the 548th meeting, the top American diplomat was lobbed a number of canned questions regarding the “state of U.S.-China relations” by Kravis. He immediately brought up Henry Kissinger’s secret trip to Beijing in the 1970s when Nixon’s secretary of state set up the eventual ‘opening’ of China, asserting that the last four decades of “dialogue-at-all-costs diplomacy” has failed to achieve “the outcome that I think Dr. Kissinger hoped [for].”
Pompeo, the “official face of Trump administration thuggery” claimed that China has shown a pattern of persistent “unilateral aggression” over the years and “thievery” of intellectual property that has subverted the “good work done by American businesses” and directly blamed the Chinese for the evisceration of the American middle class; an accusation that rings especially hollow coming from a Koch-sponsored politician, but is nothing more than the State Department’s chief mouthpiece executing the narrative dictates of the U.S. National Security Council, which long-ago established a strategic policy to thwart the PRC’s drive to become a self-reliant economic powerhouse and its inexorable encroachment on the West’s designs over Eurasia.
After a few remarks about the recent policy change regarding the South China Sea, Pompeo went on talk about the “fairness and reciprocity and security” that president Trump is ostensibly trying to obtain for “the American people” via the ongoing trade war with China, but instead of tackling the issue directly, framed it as a matter of China’s disrespect for the “rule of law” and international institutions in regards to the “virus [that] broke out in Wuhan” and “what they did with respect to the World Health Organization”, regurgitating long-held narratives of China’s supposed interference in the WHO’s response.
NATO’s shifting role
Once the anti-Xi Jinping stage was set, Kravis turned the conversation to broader Atlanticist perspectives from the point of view of the U.S. State Department’s attempts to bring the EU into stricter alignment with U.S. goals in the region. She asked about the call Pompeo held with recently-installed EU chief diplomat, Borrell, and 27 EU foreign ministers two weeks ago, in which a “distinct bilateral dialogue focused on China” was suggested.
Pompeo argued that the “tide has turned” on the EU’s resistance to take a hardline approach to China, claiming that Europe was now open to it as a result of the “work that we have done to demonstrate to the world the threat that the Chinese Communist Party poses to them.” He provided two examples that were meant to buttress his point, but neither were from the EU itself. One centered around the UK’s decision to exclude China from its implementation of 5G technology, and the other was India’s move to excise 50 Chinese information applications that were operating in that country.
The call with the EU ministers also comes on the heels of big changes at NATO, as Germany assumes the presidency of the EU and the Chairmanship of NATO’s National Reserve Forces Committee, even as Trump plans to slash its troop numbers in the pivotal nation – a plan that has garnered some resistance from both the Pentagon and Congress.
Bipartisan sanctions, unilateral edicts, and COVID
The subject of China’s relationship with Iran and Venezuela was touched on towards the latter part of the interview, in which Pompeo warned about the end of the JCPOA, known colloquially as the Iran Nuclear deal; stating that it “would be tragic” and represent the imminent transformation of Iran into “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.” He said that he hoped the arms embargo could be extended diplomatically and that the UN Security Council – presently headed by China – could be persuaded to go along with it, but cited Democrats Kerry, Sherman and former president Obama to express the bipartisan will to “unilaterally reimpose (sic) all of those sanctions” in case they didn’t.
The topic of Venezuela’s gasoline sales to Iran was touched on briefly, as was the static situation with North Korea before returning to China and WHO, specifically. Kravis posed the question of which “institution or organization or format, process” would be best to “replace the WHO in terms of sharing of information, sharing of data, sharing of research.” Pompeo touted PEPFAR, President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, as precedent for a U.S. action in response to the “last time the WHO failed with respect to a pandemic,” and praised Deborah Birx – head of Trump’s COVID-19 task force – whose medical license has been expired for a decade.
The top American diplomat expressed hope that the U.S. would be able to “build a coalition” around this issue, as they had done when a “Chinese candidate” was about to lead the “World Intellectual Property Organization” and had successfully built a “coalition” to insert the State Department’s preferred candidate in the position. The softball Q&A ended on an ironic note when Kravis asked Pompeo about diversity in the State Department. “We don’t have enough Mandarin speakers here.” he conceded.
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the National Constitution Center about the Commission on Unalienable Rights, July 16, 2020, in Philadelphia. Brendan Smialowski | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-20--State Department Credits Pandemic with IT Privatization

In a text-book application of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel ’ s infamous quote of never letting “ a serious crisis go to waste , ” the State Department ’ s Chief Information Officer ( CIO ) , Stuart McGuigan , credits the COVID-19 pandemic with spurring the “ modernizations ” that are currently taking place in the IT infrastructure at the U.S. Bureau of Information Resource Management ( IRM ) .
The IRM is responsible for maintaining a global , information exchange network comprising more than 275 diplomatic missions around the world .
“ In the span of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of IT modernization to a degree that normally would have taken up to four or five years , ” said Principal Deputy CIO Michael Mestrovich .
The changes had already started taking place a year ago when the department began moving to cloud services following the creation of the Cyber and Technology Security ( CTS ) Directorate in 2017 and prior discussions over how to best deliver “ a secure infrastructure and platform to the department , ” which ultimately resulted in the implementation of Microsoft ’ s 365 platform and CISCO Webex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Executive today has “ 107,000 technology users , including foreign service , civil service , contractors , and local staff – both domestic and overseas.
” The scale of the change is easily grasped by the fact that in February when the Department of State initiated its “ pandemic footing , ” the number of teleworking employees barely numbered in the hundreds .
Up to that point , remote work was considered an “ accommodation ” rather than the norm .
It ’ s going to cost you Stuart McGuigan was appointed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent CIO in March of 2019 after fifteen months of that position sitting vacant .
McGuigan comes off a seven-year stint as CIO for Johnson & Johnson and former CIO of CVS Caremark prior to that .
His ties to big pharma run deep with a previous role as Director of Information Planning at Merck .
McGuigan was installed at the State Department after an executive order by Trump gave government CIOs authority over hiring and budget .
Among the first things McGuigan did was establish an IT Executive Council ( ITEC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needs of each bureau and office ” in regards to IT .
The pandemic will see State emerge “ from this a really technically enabled , fully collaborative department , ” according to McGuigan .
State Department employees who will now mostly log onto a browser to log into Microsoft ’ s Office 365 .
The costs associated with putting identity management and collaboration systems on private cloud services are high .
“ Now , you pay for that , ” says former DIA official Mestrovich .
“ You ’ re paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs .
But , if you want to talk about flexibility and ease of expansion , we let the cloud platforms do exactly what they did best.
” Most of the State Department ’ s $ 2.2 Trillion-dollar IT budget was put in the hands of McGuigan after Trump ’ s executive order and the breach of its unclassified email system a few months earlier conveniently exposed a ‘ problem ’ that had to be solved .
McGuigan stepped into his first government role from the private sector and has proceeded to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among others .
The pitch we ’ re given is about scalability and adaptability .
Jared Kushner , head of the White House Office of American Innovation asserted that the “ true answer to modernizing government technology is to build the capacity to conduct change on an ongoing basis.
” Empowering CIOs through Trump ’ s EO , he continued , “ is a critical step forward in building that change management capacity.
” McGuigan summed up his goal at State as that of creating a “ living , breathing prioritization and planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomat ’ who could perform their work anywhere , “ whether it ’ s a coffee shop in Maine , an embassy in Sudan or a field outside Kabul.
” But , how secure can such private enterprise networks really be ?
Especially considering the slew of backdoors that are known to exist in such software and the ties to Israeli intelligence agencies , that have been exposed by MintPress News , such as the Leidos-Lockheed Martin IT hybrid , which provides “ a litany of services to the U.S. military and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep ties to Israeli intelligence and is now handling most State Department communications , has “ partnerships with election technology suppliers responsible for more than half of the voting machines sold in the U.S. ” and is selling its “ ElectionGuard ” system developed with a $ 10 million-dollar investment from DARPA to various states around the country .
It is increasingly becoming apparent that the “ market-driven ” initiatives like the IT restructuring being conducted at the State Department and other agencies of the U.S. government are simply cover for a wholesale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly into the hands of the very corporations that will soon enough drop the pretense of democracy altogether .
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ( right ) poses with the head of the Bureau of Information Resource Management , Stuart McGuigan .
Michael Gross | State Department photo

In a text-book application of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s infamous quote of never letting “a serious crisis go to waste,” the State Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Stuart McGuigan, credits the COVID-19 pandemic with spurring the “modernizations” that are currently taking place in the IT infrastructure at the U.S. Bureau of Information Resource Management (IRM).
The IRM is responsible for maintaining a global, information exchange network comprising more than 275 diplomatic missions around the world. “In the span of three months, we probably advanced the state of IT modernization to a degree that normally would have taken up to four or five years,” said Principal Deputy CIO Michael Mestrovich.
The changes had already started taking place a year ago when the department began moving to cloud services following the creation of the Cyber and Technology Security (CTS) Directorate in 2017 and prior discussions over how to best deliver “a secure infrastructure and platform to the department,” which ultimately resulted in the implementation of Microsoft’s 365 platform and CISCO Webex.
The oldest branch of the U.S. Executive today has “107,000 technology users, including foreign service, civil service, contractors, and local staff – both domestic and overseas.” The scale of the change is easily grasped by the fact that in February when the Department of State initiated its “pandemic footing,” the number of teleworking employees barely numbered in the hundreds. Up to that point, remote work was considered an “accommodation” rather than the norm.
It’s going to cost you
Stuart McGuigan was appointed as the Department of State’s first permanent CIO in March of 2019 after fifteen months of that position sitting vacant. McGuigan comes off a seven-year stint as CIO for Johnson & Johnson and former CIO of CVS Caremark prior to that. His ties to big pharma run deep with a previous role as Director of Information Planning at Merck.
McGuigan was installed at the State Department after an executive order by Trump gave government CIOs authority over hiring and budget. Among the first things McGuigan did was establish an IT Executive Council (ITEC) to oversee the effort to “evaluate the needs of each bureau and office” in regards to IT.
The pandemic will see State emerge “from this a really technically enabled, fully collaborative department,” according to McGuigan. State Department employees who will now mostly log onto a browser to log into Microsoft’s Office 365. The costs associated with putting identity management and collaboration systems on private cloud services are high. “Now, you pay for that,” says former DIA official Mestrovich. “You’re paying for consumption costs and paying extra licensing costs. But, if you want to talk about flexibility and ease of expansion, we let the cloud platforms do exactly what they did best.”
A captive, insecure market
Most of the State Department’s $2.2 Trillion-dollar IT budget was put in the hands of McGuigan after Trump’s executive order and the breach of its unclassified email system a few months earlier conveniently exposed a ‘problem’ that had to be solved. McGuigan stepped into his first government role from the private sector and has proceeded to deliver fat contracts to Microsoft and Cisco, among others.
The pitch we’re given is about scalability and adaptability. Jared Kushner, head of the White House Office of American Innovation asserted that the “true answer to modernizing government technology is to build the capacity to conduct change on an ongoing basis.” Empowering CIOs through Trump’s EO, he continued, “is a critical step forward in building that change management capacity.”
McGuigan summed up his goal at State as that of creating a “living, breathing prioritization and planning mechanism” to unleash the ‘untethered diplomat’ who could perform their work anywhere, “whether it’s a coffee shop in Maine, an embassy in Sudan or a field outside Kabul.”
But, how secure can such private enterprise networks really be? Especially considering the slew of backdoors that are known to exist in such software and the ties to Israeli intelligence agencies, that have been exposed by MintPress News, such as the Leidos-Lockheed Martin IT hybrid, which provides “a litany of services to the U.S. military and U.S. intelligence.”
Microsoft, which also has deep ties to Israeli intelligence and is now handling most State Department communications, has “partnerships with election technology suppliers responsible for more than half of the voting machines sold in the U.S.” and is selling its “ElectionGuard” system developed with a $10 million-dollar investment from DARPA to various states around the country.
It is increasingly becoming apparent that the “market-driven” initiatives like the IT restructuring being conducted at the State Department and other agencies of the U.S. government are simply cover for a wholesale transfer of the government, itself, directly into the hands of the very corporations that will soon enough drop the pretense of democracy altogether.
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) poses with the head of the Bureau of Information Resource Management, Stuart McGuigan. Michael Gross | State Department photo
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-21--As US Courts Release Inmates amid COVID-19, Palestinian Political Prisoners Are Still Persecuted

The Holy Land Foundation case , on which I based my book “ Injustice , The Story of the Holy Land Foundation , ” included five defendants , all of whom were wrongfully charged and wrongfully convicted .
The five , Mufid Abdulqader , Shukri Abu Baker , Ghassan Elashi , Abdulrahman Odeh , and Mohammad Elmezain , were targeted because they were Palestinian Muslims .
The U.S. government , along with the government of Israel , Zionist organizations in the United States , and the witnesses that helped the prosecution are all complicit in the crime of keeping these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deteriorating health conditions and advanced age make him a candidate for contracting COVID-19 , a motion for modification of sentence based on extraordinary and compelling reasons was filed for Mohammad Elmezain on June 5 , 2020 .
The government opposed the motion and June 23 , 2020 , Judge Sam Lindsay of the Northern District of Texas denied the motion .
The court arguments rely on false claims made during the Holy Land Foundation trial and ignore the severity of the health conditions of Elmezain .
The court claims it “ does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical limitations , and chronic medical conditions—diabetes , hypertension , arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis , numbness in his hands , high cholesterol , back pain , and a continuous skin rash—or discount that being confined in a prison makes it more difficult for him or any prisoner to follow official precautions for social distancing and handwashing while in custody .
Defendant has failed , however , to provide sufficient grounds for compassionate release .
He does not establish that his conditions are sufficiently severe , have an end of life trajectory , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Furthermore , it ] makes the outlandish claim that : A short while after the court ’ s decision regarding the fate of Elmezain , Mufid Abdulqder , another of the Holy Land Five Foundation defendants , tested positive for COVID-19 .
When I heard the news , my first thought was that if anything happens to him , if God forbid he does not recover , not only would the U.S. government and the judge in the case be to blame , but the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) and the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be responsible .
My second thought was , how much can a good man suffer and still maintain his humanity .
Mufid is a tall man with broad shoulders and a keen sense of humor .
“ I work out two and a half hours every day , and I take only one day a week to rest , ” he told me during one of my visits .
He lets his gray beard grow long and he has his hair cropped very short , giving him a slightly wild and mischievous look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has great plans for the future .
“ I plan to be fit and rich when I get out , ” he explained , “ if you don ’ t set goals and take care of yourself , no one will do it for you.
” Each time we met we would sit together and talk for hours , not feeling the time pass .
From time to time , I would get us some snacks from the vending machine and we would eat and go on talking .
He is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a few years older than me , his life is rich with stories which he shares generously .
In fact , once I got to know Mufid , it became obvious to me that generosity was one of his strongest characteristics .
Mufid Abdulqder , like the rest of the Holy Land Foundation Five , is an inmate in federal prison because he is Palestinian and Muslim , and was targeted for political reasons .
Had he been any other nationality or religion he would be a free man .
As he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana , he told me about his life and his family in Palestine .
His family is from the town of Silwad , where his family home still stands .
I visited the town and saw the house myself .
Silwad is set on a hill and it has some of the finest views in all of Palestine .
Mufid ’ s brother is the former head of Hamas political bureau , Khaled Mash ’ al .
My book provides a detailed report of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but suffice it to say that when the U.S. government needed to demonstrate that it was “ fighting terrorism , ” the Holy Land Foundation was an easy target , and Mufid , although he was not part of the organization and only volunteered from time to time , was targeted because of his family connections .
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 , Mufid has been actively writing and warning about the risks to himself and other inmates .
Here are a few excerpts from his emails : Today is Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far we have a minimum of 12 inmates as of right now who have tested positive for the CPVID-19 [ sic ] .
I hope and pray that I will not catch the COVID-19 virus .
Today is my birthday and I am 62 .
We have so far well over 100 cases of COVID-19 among inmates and 3 staff .
The virus is spreading like fire and who knows who will be next .
There is no social distancing for 270 inmates in a building using the same bathrooms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Each 5 live in a room no bigger than 8X6 .
He then added the following plea : Please call , e-mail , write , text MLFA .
Call Khalil and tell him to tell Charlie ( my attorney ) to file an emergency motion with the court for me for home confinement .
Over 50 inmates in the past 3 months have been successful with getting out as the judges see that the BOP is not doing enough and the judges are releasing inmates with 10 and 15 years left on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 years and the most they can keep me in prison is 4 more years .
Time is running out .
I don ’ t want to come out dead after serving 12 years on political charges .
It bears down on me…I can ’ t breath .
I am holding on for life , suffocating under the crushing anxiety of this invincible enemy called COVID-19 .
Yesterday the results of the test came back .
I have COVID-19 .
I was moved from my building to another building where everyone has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to 500 inmates do have the virus .
BOP just moves you from one spot to another and hopes that you will be ok and you will beat the virus .
Over 102 inmates so far have died from the virus .
I am ok and I will make it Insha Allah .
I am in a room with 12 other inmates who have it and one of them is coughing uncontrollable all night long and they gave him Advil .
Keep me in your prayers .
To all honorable human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestine , Jerusalem and my beloved great hometown of Silwad I want you to know that I do have the COVID-19 and I do have symptoms such as coughing , chills , runny nose/congestion , shortness of breath , diarrhea and I am fighting every second of my life and winning Insha Allah .
As of today Friday as reported by channel 8 ABC local TV station at 5:30 PM .
Seagoville prison has 1077 inmates infected at a rate of 74 % of all inmates with one staff death .
Scary !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Mufid ’ s daughter Sarah gave to the Coalition for Civil Freedoms , she mentions the appalling conditions and lack of care for the inmates by the Bureau of Prisons .
“ These people have families , and while my dad is innocent , even the others , are they not human beings , do we not need to care for them ?
” she asked .
The answer is that the lives of inmates in America do not matter .
The prison system in the United States is created to punish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them throughout their incarceration .
It is a cruel and unusual system and should be abolished .
As of the writing of these words , a motion for compassionate release has been filed on behalf of Mufid .
The government has fourteen days to respond .
Feature photo | Miko Peled poses with Mufid Abdulqder at the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana in 2015 .
Photo | Miko Peled Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

The Holy Land Foundation case, on which I based my book “Injustice, The Story of the Holy Land Foundation,” included five defendants, all of whom were wrongfully charged and wrongfully convicted. The five, Mufid Abdulqader, Shukri Abu Baker, Ghassan Elashi, Abdulrahman Odeh, and Mohammad Elmezain, were targeted because they were Palestinian Muslims. The U.S. government, along with the government of Israel, Zionist organizations in the United States, and the witnesses that helped the prosecution are all complicit in the crime of keeping these men in prison.
Trying to prevent a tragedy
Fearing that his deteriorating health conditions and advanced age make him a candidate for contracting COVID-19, a motion for modification of sentence based on extraordinary and compelling reasons was filed for Mohammad Elmezain on June 5, 2020. The government opposed the motion and June 23, 2020, Judge Sam Lindsay of the Northern District of Texas denied the motion.
The court arguments rely on false claims made during the Holy Land Foundation trial and ignore the severity of the health conditions of Elmezain.
The court claims it “does not downplay Defendant’s recent mini-stroke, physical limitations, and chronic medical conditions—diabetes, hypertension, arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, numbness in his hands, high cholesterol, back pain, and a continuous skin rash—or discount that being confined in a prison makes it more difficult for him or any prisoner to follow official precautions for social distancing and handwashing while in custody. Defendant has failed, however, to provide sufficient grounds for compassionate release. He does not establish that his conditions are sufficiently severe, have an end of life trajectory, and diminish his ability to provide self-care.”
Furthermore, it ]makes the outlandish claim that:
Defendant, however, apart from his physical limitations, good prison record, and participation in educational programs, he offers no evidence of his rehabilitation efforts or any attempt to confront the primary motive for his offense, specifically his ideology of persistent violence.”
Mufid Abdulqader
A short while after the court’s decision regarding the fate of Elmezain, Mufid Abdulqder, another of the Holy Land Five Foundation defendants, tested positive for COVID-19. When I heard the news, my first thought was that if anything happens to him, if God forbid he does not recover, not only would the U.S. government and the judge in the case be to blame, but the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the entire Zionist apparatus in the United States would be responsible. My second thought was, how much can a good man suffer and still maintain his humanity.
Mufid is a tall man with broad shoulders and a keen sense of humor. “I work out two and a half hours every day, and I take only one day a week to rest,” he told me during one of my visits. He lets his gray beard grow long and he has his hair cropped very short, giving him a slightly wild and mischievous look. He is in his early sixties and has great plans for the future. “I plan to be fit and rich when I get out,” he explained, “if you don’t set goals and take care of yourself, no one will do it for you.”
Each time we met we would sit together and talk for hours, not feeling the time pass. From time to time, I would get us some snacks from the vending machine and we would eat and go on talking. He is a great storyteller and even though he is only a few years older than me, his life is rich with stories which he shares generously. In fact, once I got to know Mufid, it became obvious to me that generosity was one of his strongest characteristics.
A political prisoner
Mufid Abdulqder, like the rest of the Holy Land Foundation Five, is an inmate in federal prison because he is Palestinian and Muslim, and was targeted for political reasons. Had he been any other nationality or religion he would be a free man. As he and I sat in the visitation room of the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, he told me about his life and his family in Palestine. His family is from the town of Silwad, where his family home still stands. I visited the town and saw the house myself. Silwad is set on a hill and it has some of the finest views in all of Palestine.
Mufid’s brother is the former head of Hamas political bureau, Khaled Mash’al. My book provides a detailed report of how and why Mufid ended up in prison, but suffice it to say that when the U.S. government needed to demonstrate that it was “fighting terrorism,” the Holy Land Foundation was an easy target, and Mufid, although he was not part of the organization and only volunteered from time to time, was targeted because of his family connections.
COVID-19 in prison
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Mufid has been actively writing and warning about the risks to himself and other inmates. Here are a few excerpts from his emails:
Today is Friday, 6/26 and things got worse than before. So far we have a minimum of 12 inmates as of right now who have tested positive for the CPVID-19 [sic]. I hope and pray that I will not catch the COVID-19 virus.
July 1, 2020:
Today is my birthday and I am 62. We have so far well over 100 cases of COVID-19 among inmates and 3 staff. The virus is spreading like fire and who knows who will be next. There is no social distancing for 270 inmates in a building using the same bathrooms, sinks, showers, phones, computers. Each 5 live in a room no bigger than 8X6.
He then added the following plea:
Please call, e-mail, write, text MLFA. Call Khalil and tell him to tell Charlie (my attorney) to file an emergency motion with the court for me for home confinement. Over 50 inmates in the past 3 months have been successful with getting out as the judges see that the BOP is not doing enough and the judges are releasing inmates with 10 and 15 years left on their sentences. I have already served 12 years and the most they can keep me in prison is 4 more years. Time is running out. I don’t want to come out dead after serving 12 years on political charges.
Mufid
July 5, 2020:
Hi Everyone,
It bears down on me…I can’t breath. I am holding on for life, suffocating under the crushing anxiety of this invincible enemy called COVID-19.
July 8, 2020:
Yesterday the results of the test came back. I have COVID-19. I was moved from my building to another building where everyone has the virus. So far I would say close to 500 inmates do have the virus. BOP just moves you from one spot to another and hopes that you will be ok and you will beat the virus. Over 102 inmates so far have died from the virus.
I am ok and I will make it Insha Allah. I am in a room with 12 other inmates who have it and one of them is coughing uncontrollable all night long and they gave him Advil. Keep me in your prayers.
Mufid
July 10, 2020:
To all honorable human beings who stand for a free Holy Land Palestine, Jerusalem and my beloved great hometown of Silwad I want you to know that I do have the COVID-19 and I do have symptoms such as coughing, chills, runny nose/congestion, shortness of breath, diarrhea and I am fighting every second of my life and winning Insha Allah.
July 17, 2020:
As of today Friday as reported by channel 8 ABC local TV station at 5:30 PM . Seagoville prison has 1077 inmates infected at a rate of 74% of all inmates with one staff death. Scary!!!!!
Mufid
In an interview that Mufid’s daughter Sarah gave to the Coalition for Civil Freedoms, she mentions the appalling conditions and lack of care for the inmates by the Bureau of Prisons. “These people have families, and while my dad is innocent, even the others, are they not human beings, do we not need to care for them?” she asked.
The answer is that the lives of inmates in America do not matter. The prison system in the United States is created to punish inmates and then to continue to punish them throughout their incarceration. It is a cruel and unusual system and should be abolished.
As of the writing of these words, a motion for compassionate release has been filed on behalf of Mufid. The government has fourteen days to respond.
Feature photo | Miko Peled poses with Mufid Abdulqder at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana in 2015. Photo | Miko Peled
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


mintpressnews--2020-07-22--Could a New Palestinian-Israeli Prisoner Exchange Be in the Works?

For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014 , the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza .
But will another prisoner exchange similar to that of October 2011 follow anytime soon ?
On July 9 , Palestinian and Israeli media reported on an Israeli government communication sent to the Palestinian group , Hamas , through an intermediary .
It included an Israeli offer to swap the bodies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bodies of the two soldiers , Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin .
Alternatively , Israel is offering the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons , so long as they have “ no blood on their hands ” , an Israeli reference to Palestinian prisoners who have not taken part in direct attacks that may have led to the killing of Israeli occupation soldiers or armed illegal Jewish settlers .
Hamas and others quickly dismissed the Israeli proposal as a non-starter for a serious negotiation .
The Palestinian group had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any prisoner exchange deal with Israel until the latter releases scores of Palestinian prisoners who were re-arrested in the months and years following the 2011 exchange .
What was then termed by Israel as the ‘ Gilad Shalit deal ’ , saw the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for securing the release of an Israeli soldier , Gilad Shalit , who was captured by Palestinian fighters near the Gaza-Israel fence in 2006 .
However , even while Palestinians were still celebrating the return of hundreds of their loved ones , Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under various pretenses , rendering the entire exercise futile .
Moreover , Israel began quickly replenishing its prisons with new arrivals , from various Palestinian factions , genders , and age groups .
In the 2011 exchange , Israel also refused to release senior Palestinian political figures from Fatah , Hamas , the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP ) , the Islamic Jihad and other groups .
This decision had derailed negotiations for months , and was understood as Israel ’ s way of wanting to hold on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for future negotiations .
These figures include Fatah ’ s most popular leader , Marwan Barghouti , PFLP leader Ahmad Sa ’ adat , among others .
In 2014 , Israel also re-arrested Nael Barghouti , from his home in Kobar , near Ramallah , making him the longest-held Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prisons .
Barghouti is a particularly important bargaining chip for Israel .
It must be said that the reason that Israel is quite generous in these prisoner exchanges is not due , as some claim , to the notion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the extent that it is willing to exchange them with a disproportionately large number of Palestinians .
If that logic was correct , why does Israel then transfer its own citizens , including children , to dangerous and highly-militarized illegal West Bank Jewish settlements ?
If Israel truly values the lives of its citizens , it would have , long ago , dismantled the illegal settlements and tried , in earnest , to reach a just peace agreement with the Palestinian leadership .
Instead , Israeli leaders , who often trigger wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu has done repeatedly in the past , use prisoner exchanges also as a means to garner positive political capital and favorable media coverage .
Netanyahu , whose image has been significantly tarnished due to his ongoing corruption investigation and trial , is laboring to distract from his own personal woes by diverting attention elsewhere .
Now that his illegal annexation of West Bank land scheme has been postponed , he is in desperate need of another battle that would present him as some kind of hero in the eyes of Israelis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bodies of the two soldiers , two Israelis , Avram Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed , who had allegedly crossed the fence into Gaza by mistake , are also held in the Strip .
Future TV footage of two coffins , draped by Israeli flags , along with two other Israelis being set free , would certainly prove to be a huge boost for the embattled Israeli leader .
Palestinian groups in Gaza understand this well .
They also know that an opportunity of this nature might not present itself again for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure a future prisoner exchange satisfies three major points : first , the release of all re-arrested prisoners since 2011 ; second , the release of as many Palestinians as possible out of the over 5,000 currently held in Israeli prisons ; and , finally , the release of top Palestinian prisoners representing the various PLO and Islamic factions .
The latter point , in particular , is quite significant , because the traditional rivals , Hamas and Fatah , have been actively pursuing a politically united front in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the West Bank .
The release of top Fatah leaders , such as Marwan Barghouti , for example , shall have immense positive impact on Palestinian public mood , especially among Fatah supporters , boosting the unity talks like never before .
Israel , of course , will do its utmost to prevent Palestinians from unifying their political ranks but , considering the fact that Palestinians are holding four Israelis in Gaza , the cards are not entirely in Netanyahu ’ s hands .
This is not to suggest that Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
The families of thousands of imprisoned Palestinians are desperate for some good news regarding their loved ones , especially as health conditions among prisoners are deteriorating due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
On July 9 , Saadi al-Gharably died at Kaplan medical center , due to what Palestinian prisoners advocacy groups describe as ‘ medical neglect ’ .
Later , prisoner Kamal Abu Wa ’ ar , a cancer patient from the Jenin area , was tested positive for COVID-19 disease .
Various signs indicate that a prisoner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing near .
The question is , will Netanyahu unleash his winning political card now , or will he wait till later , when he needs it most ?
Feature photo | Laila , mother of Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi , waits for her son to be released as part of a prisoner exchange outside of Shita prison near Afula , northern Israel , Dec. 23 , 2013 .
Ariel Schalit | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza. But will another prisoner exchange similar to that of October 2011 follow anytime soon?
On July 9, Palestinian and Israeli media reported on an Israeli government communication sent to the Palestinian group, Hamas, through an intermediary. It included an Israeli offer to swap the bodies of Palestinians held in Israel in exchange for the bodies of the two soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin.
Alternatively, Israel is offering the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, so long as they have “no blood on their hands”, an Israeli reference to Palestinian prisoners who have not taken part in direct attacks that may have led to the killing of Israeli occupation soldiers or armed illegal Jewish settlers.
Hamas and others quickly dismissed the Israeli proposal as a non-starter for a serious negotiation. The Palestinian group had already indicated that it will not negotiate any prisoner exchange deal with Israel until the latter releases scores of Palestinian prisoners who were re-arrested in the months and years following the 2011 exchange.
What was then termed by Israel as the ‘Gilad Shalit deal’, saw the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for securing the release of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian fighters near the Gaza-Israel fence in 2006.
However, even while Palestinians were still celebrating the return of hundreds of their loved ones, Israel began re-arresting many of the newly-released prisoners under various pretenses, rendering the entire exercise futile.
Moreover, Israel began quickly replenishing its prisons with new arrivals, from various Palestinian factions, genders, and age groups.
In the 2011 exchange, Israel also refused to release senior Palestinian political figures from Fatah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Islamic Jihad and other groups. This decision had derailed negotiations for months, and was understood as Israel’s way of wanting to hold on to many prominent Palestinian figures as bargaining chips for future negotiations.
These figures include Fatah’s most popular leader, Marwan Barghouti, PFLP leader Ahmad Sa’adat, among others.
In 2014, Israel also re-arrested Nael Barghouti, from his home in Kobar, near Ramallah, making him the longest-held Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prisons. Barghouti is a particularly important bargaining chip for Israel.
It must be said that the reason that Israel is quite generous in these prisoner exchanges is not due, as some claim, to the notion that Israel values the life of its citizens to the extent that it is willing to exchange them with a disproportionately large number of Palestinians.
If that logic was correct, why does Israel then transfer its own citizens, including children, to dangerous and highly-militarized illegal West Bank Jewish settlements?
If Israel truly values the lives of its citizens, it would have, long ago, dismantled the illegal settlements and tried, in earnest, to reach a just peace agreement with the Palestinian leadership.
Instead, Israeli leaders, who often trigger wars for their own political benefits, as Netanyahu has done repeatedly in the past, use prisoner exchanges also as a means to garner positive political capital and favorable media coverage.
Netanyahu, whose image has been significantly tarnished due to his ongoing corruption investigation and trial, is laboring to distract from his own personal woes by diverting attention elsewhere. Now that his illegal annexation of West Bank land scheme has been postponed, he is in desperate need of another battle that would present him as some kind of hero in the eyes of Israelis, especially his right-wing constituency.
Aside from the bodies of the two soldiers, two Israelis, Avram Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who had allegedly crossed the fence into Gaza by mistake, are also held in the Strip. Future TV footage of two coffins, draped by Israeli flags, along with two other Israelis being set free, would certainly prove to be a huge boost for the embattled Israeli leader.
Palestinian groups in Gaza understand this well. They also know that an opportunity of this nature might not present itself again for years. Therefore, they are keen to ensure a future prisoner exchange satisfies three major points: first, the release of all re-arrested prisoners since 2011; second, the release of as many Palestinians as possible out of the over 5,000 currently held in Israeli prisons; and, finally, the release of top Palestinian prisoners representing the various PLO and Islamic factions.
The latter point, in particular, is quite significant, because the traditional rivals, Hamas and Fatah, have been actively pursuing a politically united front in the face of the imminent Israeli annexation of nearly 30% of the West Bank. The release of top Fatah leaders, such as Marwan Barghouti, for example, shall have immense positive impact on Palestinian public mood, especially among Fatah supporters, boosting the unity talks like never before.
Israel, of course, will do its utmost to prevent Palestinians from unifying their political ranks but, considering the fact that Palestinians are holding four Israelis in Gaza, the cards are not entirely in Netanyahu’s hands.
This is not to suggest that Palestinian groups are not feeling the pressure as well. The families of thousands of imprisoned Palestinians are desperate for some good news regarding their loved ones, especially as health conditions among prisoners are deteriorating due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
On July 9, Saadi al-Gharably died at Kaplan medical center, due to what Palestinian prisoners advocacy groups describe as ‘medical neglect’. Later, prisoner Kamal Abu Wa’ar, a cancer patient from the Jenin area, was tested positive for COVID-19 disease.
Various signs indicate that a prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestinian groups is drawing near. The question is, will Netanyahu unleash his winning political card now, or will he wait till later, when he needs it most?
Feature photo | Laila, mother of Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi, waits for her son to be released as part of a prisoner exchange outside of Shita prison near Afula , northern Israel, Dec. 23, 2013. Ariel Schalit | 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--2020-07-22--As Congress Blocks Defunding the Pentagon, Here Are Ten Things We Could Have Spent the Money On

The majority of House Democrats joined with the Republican colleagues yesterday in voting down progressive legislation that would have cut the Pentagon budget by 10 percent ( $ 74 billion ) and used the money to fund healthcare , housing , and education for the poorest Americans .
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act , sponsored by Barbara Lee ( D–CA ) and Mark Pocan ( D–WI ) was soundly defeated 93-324 , with 139 Democrats joining all 185 voting Republicans in rejecting the idea .
Despite the defeat , Pocan vowed to continue pushing an anti-war agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-peace , pro-people budgets until it becomes a reality , ” he said .
Democrats who voted against the military budget cuts received over three times the contributions from the defense industry as those who voted for the reduction .
Earlier today , the Senate also voted down the proposal .
The result will no doubt disappoint the majority of Americans as well .
A poll conducted last week by Data for Progress found that 56 percent of the country supported the idea to defund the military and use the money to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat-voters supported the plan by 69 to 19 percent , with Republicans also backing it , by 50 to 37 percent .
The proposal is hardly a radical shift ; the military ’ s budget has increased by around 20 percent under President Trump alone , reaching near-historic highs .
The National Priorities Project , a part of the Institute for Policy Studies think tank , put together a list of ten better uses for the $ 74 billion than giving it to one of the world ’ s largest bureaucracies .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States ’ over half a million homeless people .
• Creating more than one million infrastructure jobs across America , especially in many of the most economically depressed locations .
• Conduct two billion COVID-19 tests , or six tests per person ( 44 times as many as has already been done ) .
• Easily close the $ 23 billion funding gap between majority-white and majority non-white public schools .
• Fund free college programs for more than two million of the poorest American students .
• A revolution in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create enough solar and/or wind energy to meet the needs of virtually every American household .
• One million well-paid clean energy jobs , enough to transition most dirty industry workers into renewables .
• Hire 900,000 new elementary school teachers , or nine per school , creating a golden age of education .
• Send a $ 2,300 check to the more than 32 million currently unemployed people across the country .
• Purchase enough N95 masks for all 55 million essential workers to use , one per day , every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spare .
Ashik Siddique of the National Priorities Project told MintPress that he was disappointed with the results , but that he was hopeful for the future : It ’ s important to note how quickly the political landscape is shifting around this issue .
This is the first time in decades that Congress has seriously considered reinvesting away from Pentagon spending .
Just a few years ago , it would have been hard to imagine getting even 93 votes in the House and 23 in the Senate — or nearly 40 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut the Pentagon budget by 10 percent , as they did this time .
That sets up a much stronger baseline to work from next year — especially since the budget caps put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011 will expire , giving Americans the chance to more deeply transform this country ’ s militarized agenda in a way that has not been on the table for decades.
” Siddique ’ s figures demonstrate just how much money is spent on war and what could be possible in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift away from bloated military spending .
The U.S. military budget is by far the largest in the world , rivaling that of all other countries combined .
More than half of all discretionary spending goes to the Pentagon , with the U.S. spending far more per capita on weaponry than comparable countries .
Yet even the $ 740 billion defense bill does not tell the full story , as it does not include the costs of nuclear weapons ( borne by the Department of Energy ) , nor many veterans ’ pensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiscal year 2021 budget request , in which it signaled a move away from the Middle East as its primary focus , towards that of Russia and China .
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper declared the Asian Pacific region to be the U.S. ’ new “ priority theater.
” There appears to be no partisan split in foreign policy , with both Democrats and Republicans viewing China as an increasing nemesis .
In recent weeks Donald Trump and Joe Biden have accused each other of being in Beijing ’ s pockets while ratcheting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most populous country .
Like with the cut to military spending , however , the political elite ’ s opinion varies radically with that of the general public .
When polling group Pew asked what was the number one international threat to America , the spread of infectious disease was by some way the top answer .
Unfortunately , the Trump administration has been cutting health budgets , including attempting to slash funding for the Center for Disease control .
Internationally , he has also committed the U.S. to leaving the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure to wreak havoc internationally and undermine cooperation against future worldwide health threats .
Feature photo | President Donald Trump , right , looks over a helicopter with United States Military Academy Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams , prior to a commencement ceremony on the parade field , at the United States Military Academy in West Point , N.Y. , June 13 , 2020 .
Alex Brandon | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The majority of House Democrats joined with the Republican colleagues yesterday in voting down progressive legislation that would have cut the Pentagon budget by 10 percent ($74 billion) and used the money to fund healthcare, housing, and education for the poorest Americans.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, sponsored by Barbara Lee (D–CA) and Mark Pocan (D–WI) was soundly defeated 93-324, with 139 Democrats joining all 185 voting Republicans in rejecting the idea. Despite the defeat, Pocan vowed to continue pushing an anti-war agenda. “We will keep fighting for pro-peace, pro-people budgets until it becomes a reality,” he said. Democrats who voted against the military budget cuts received over three times the contributions from the defense industry as those who voted for the reduction. Earlier today, the Senate also voted down the proposal.
BREAKING: A House vote to cut the Pentagon by 10% just failed 93-324. But this is the first time in decades that Congress has considered a significant cut to Pentagon spending. The military-industrial complex will fall. We will end our addiction to endless, costly wars. pic.twitter.com/LigzB9XtVJ — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) July 21, 2020
The result will no doubt disappoint the majority of Americans as well. A poll conducted last week by Data for Progress found that 56 percent of the country supported the idea to defund the military and use the money to fight COVID-19 alleviate the growing housing crisis. Democrat-voters supported the plan by 69 to 19 percent, with Republicans also backing it, by 50 to 37 percent. The proposal is hardly a radical shift; the military’s budget has increased by around 20 percent under President Trump alone, reaching near-historic highs.
The National Priorities Project, a part of the Institute for Policy Studies think tank, put together a list of ten better uses for the $74 billion than giving it to one of the world’s largest bureaucracies. This included:
Housing every one of the United States’ over half a million homeless people. Creating more than one million infrastructure jobs across America, especially in many of the most economically depressed locations. Conduct two billion COVID-19 tests, or six tests per person (44 times as many as has already been done). Easily close the $23 billion funding gap between majority-white and majority non-white public schools. Fund free college programs for more than two million of the poorest American students. A revolution in clean energy. $74 billion could create enough solar and/or wind energy to meet the needs of virtually every American household. One million well-paid clean energy jobs, enough to transition most dirty industry workers into renewables. Hire 900,000 new elementary school teachers, or nine per school, creating a golden age of education. Send a $2,300 check to the more than 32 million currently unemployed people across the country. Purchase enough N95 masks for all 55 million essential workers to use, one per day, every day for a year, with change to spare.
Ashik Siddique of the National Priorities Project told MintPress that he was disappointed with the results, but that he was hopeful for the future:
It’s important to note how quickly the political landscape is shifting around this issue. This is the first time in decades that Congress has seriously considered reinvesting away from Pentagon spending. Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine getting even 93 votes in the House and 23 in the Senate — or nearly 40 to 50 percent of the Democratic Caucus — to cut the Pentagon budget by 10 percent, as they did this time. That sets up a much stronger baseline to work from next year — especially since the budget caps put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011 will expire, giving Americans the chance to more deeply transform this country’s militarized agenda in a way that has not been on the table for decades.”
Siddique’s figures demonstrate just how much money is spent on war and what could be possible in the United States if there was a paradigm shift away from bloated military spending. The U.S. military budget is by far the largest in the world, rivaling that of all other countries combined. More than half of all discretionary spending goes to the Pentagon, with the U.S. spending far more per capita on weaponry than comparable countries. Yet even the $740 billion defense bill does not tell the full story, as it does not include the costs of nuclear weapons (borne by the Department of Energy), nor many veterans’ pensions.
In February the Pentagon announced its fiscal year 2021 budget request, in which it signaled a move away from the Middle East as its primary focus, towards that of Russia and China. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper declared the Asian Pacific region to be the U.S.’ new “priority theater.” There appears to be no partisan split in foreign policy, with both Democrats and Republicans viewing China as an increasing nemesis. In recent weeks Donald Trump and Joe Biden have accused each other of being in Beijing’s pockets while ratcheting up the tensions with the world’s most populous country.
Like with the cut to military spending, however, the political elite’s opinion varies radically with that of the general public. When polling group Pew asked what was the number one international threat to America, the spread of infectious disease was by some way the top answer. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has been cutting health budgets, including attempting to slash funding for the Center for Disease control. Internationally, he has also committed the U.S. to leaving the World Health Organization, a move that is sure to wreak havoc internationally and undermine cooperation against future worldwide health threats.
Feature photo | President Donald Trump, right, looks over a helicopter with United States Military Academy Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, prior to a commencement ceremony on the parade field, at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 13, 2020. Alex Brandon | 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--2020-07-22--Anger Over Israeli Decision to Demolish Palestinian COVID-19 Hospital Ahead of Deadly Second Wave

The Israeli decision to bulldoze a newly built COVID-19 field hospital and testing center in Hebron in the West Bank yesterday has been roundly condemned by activists , rights groups and organizers .
“ Because demolishing a COVID-19 testing center is totally the best way for Israel to be spending funds right now , ” wrote female-led antiwar group CODEPINK , “ Seriously , this obsession with destroying Palestine , even at the expense of Israeli coronavirus funding , is sick.
” Around $ 250,000 had been raised to fund the new center , which was being built in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raed Maswadeh , whose family donated the land for that purpose .
Masawadeh ’ s grandfather had recently died from the coronavirus himself .
Maswadeh told journalists from Middle East Eye that Israeli soldiers had been watching its construction for months without saying anything .
Then , last week they were told to produce building permits for the field hospital ( something virtually impossible to receive from the Israeli government ) , otherwise , it would be destroyed .
Tayseer Abu Sneineh , mayor of Hebron , was outraged .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an emergency situation , you would think they would show some empathy , or give people some leeway , but they are not interested in that , ” he said .
“ This shows clearly that Israel doesn ’ t care about Palestinian lives…They can ’ t even give us our basic rights to healthcare so we can treat our people from the coronavirus.
” The lack of a response from Western governments angered many .
Ali Abunimah , co-founder of the Electronic Intifada , complained that there was “ not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bulldozing of the emergency hospital .
“ Do not let the EU launder its complicity and support for Israeli war crimes with crumbs of charity thrown at Palestinians , ” he added .
The coronavirus situation in the region appears to be spiraling out of control .
Having seemingly successfully managed the outbreak , Israel has unmistakably hit a second wave of infections , far worse than what had come before .
At the height of the epidemic in early April , the country was averaging around 600 new cases per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus .
Palestine is similarly losing its grip on the situation ; with 57 of a total of 64 deceased Palestinians dying in July .
Yesterday , Nickolay Mladenov , the United Nations ’ Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process , warned that the dramatic increase in cases could have perilous consequences for the region , calling for new , “ extraordinary measures ” to fight the virus ’ spread .
The destruction of health clinics was presumably exactly the opposite of what he intended .
While perhaps shocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not surprise many knowledgeable onlookers .
In March , Israeli forces did the same thing to a new field hospital in the West Bank community of Khirbet Ibziq , bulldozing buildings and confiscating medical supplies and construction materials .
“ As the whole world battles an unprecedented and paralyzing healthcare crisis , Israel ’ s military is devoting time and resources to harassing the most vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank , that Israel has attempted to drive out of the area for decades , ” wrote local human rights group B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-aid community initiative during a health crisis is an especially cruel example of the regular abuse inflicted on these communities , and it goes against basic human and humanitarian principles during an emergency.
” Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s government recently announced plans to formally annex up to a third of Palestine , including much of the fertile Jordan Valley , the breadbasket of Palestine .
Based on Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner ’ s so-called Deal of the Century , the plan would put over 70,000 extra Palestinians under full Israeli jurisdiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Human Rights , Michelle Bachelet , has declared the annexation plans both “ illegal ” and “ disastrous.
” Dr. Ramzy Baroud , a Palestinian-American journalist recently told MintPress that people in the West Bank are “ already under complete Israeli control and all movement and all freedoms are already curtailed for Palestinians , ” but that the Trump-Netanyahu plan would make the situation even worse .
“ It will be the last nail in the coffin in the so-called peace process , ” he warned .
Feature photo | Israeli police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish settlements in the West Bank village of Beita near Nablus , July 18 , 2020 .
Majdi Mohammed | 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 @ @ @ @

The Israeli decision to bulldoze a newly built COVID-19 field hospital and testing center in Hebron in the West Bank yesterday has been roundly condemned by activists, rights groups and organizers. “Because demolishing a COVID-19 testing center is totally the best way for Israel to be spending funds right now,” wrote female-led antiwar group CODEPINK, “Seriously, this obsession with destroying Palestine, even at the expense of Israeli coronavirus funding, is sick.”
3 days ago, Israeli Occupation Forces delivered a demolition order to a Covid-19 clinic/testing center at northern entrance Hebron City. The clinic was supported by Hebron municipality.
Hebron is hardest-hit Covid area in oPT.
This morning, Israeli forces demolished the clinic. pic.twitter.com/Lv9QBR1DUp — Jalal (@JalalAK_jojo) July 21, 2020
Around $250,000 had been raised to fund the new center, which was being built in the memory of the grandfather of 35-year-old engineer Raed Maswadeh, whose family donated the land for that purpose. Masawadeh’s grandfather had recently died from the coronavirus himself. Maswadeh told journalists from Middle East Eye that Israeli soldiers had been watching its construction for months without saying anything. Then, last week they were told to produce building permits for the field hospital (something virtually impossible to receive from the Israeli government), otherwise, it would be destroyed.
Tayseer Abu Sneineh, mayor of Hebron, was outraged. “We are in the midst of a global crisis…This is an emergency situation, you would think they would show some empathy, or give people some leeway, but they are not interested in that,” he said. “This shows clearly that Israel doesn’t care about Palestinian lives…They can’t even give us our basic rights to healthcare so we can treat our people from the coronavirus.”
The lack of a response from Western governments angered many. Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, complained that there was “not a word” from the European Union on the bulldozing of the emergency hospital. “Do not let the EU launder its complicity and support for Israeli war crimes with crumbs of charity thrown at Palestinians,” he added.
The coronavirus situation in the region appears to be spiraling out of control. Having seemingly successfully managed the outbreak, Israel has unmistakably hit a second wave of infections, far worse than what had come before. At the height of the epidemic in early April, the country was averaging around 600 new cases per day. Yesterday, 2,039 Israelis tested positive for the coronavirus. Palestine is similarly losing its grip on the situation; with 57 of a total of 64 deceased Palestinians dying in July. Yesterday, Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations’ Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, warned that the dramatic increase in cases could have perilous consequences for the region, calling for new, “extraordinary measures” to fight the virus’ spread. The destruction of health clinics was presumably exactly the opposite of what he intended.
While perhaps shocking, Israel’s latest move did not surprise many knowledgeable onlookers. In March, Israeli forces did the same thing to a new field hospital in the West Bank community of Khirbet Ibziq, bulldozing buildings and confiscating medical supplies and construction materials. “As the whole world battles an unprecedented and paralyzing healthcare crisis, Israel’s military is devoting time and resources to harassing the most vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank, that Israel has attempted to drive out of the area for decades,” wrote local human rights group B’Tselem, “Shutting down a first-aid community initiative during a health crisis is an especially cruel example of the regular abuse inflicted on these communities, and it goes against basic human and humanitarian principles during an emergency.”
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government recently announced plans to formally annex up to a third of Palestine, including much of the fertile Jordan Valley, the breadbasket of Palestine. Based on Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s so-called Deal of the Century, the plan would put over 70,000 extra Palestinians under full Israeli jurisdiction. The United Nations’ High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has declared the annexation plans both “illegal” and “disastrous.” Dr. Ramzy Baroud, a Palestinian-American journalist recently told MintPress that people in the West Bank are “already under complete Israeli control and all movement and all freedoms are already curtailed for Palestinians,” but that the Trump-Netanyahu plan would make the situation even worse. “It will be the last nail in the coffin in the so-called peace process,” he warned.
Feature photo | Israeli police advance on Palestinian protesting the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank village of Beita near Nablus, July 18, 2020. Majdi Mohammed | 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--2020-07-22--Israel Leaking Evidence of Its Involvement in Covert Iran Bombing Campaign that Threatens to Spark a

Israel Leaking Evidence of Its Involvement in Covert Iran Bombing Campaign that Threatens to Spark a Wider War

Israel is believed to be behind several recent acts of sabotage against Iranian civilian and military infrastructure , including a hospital , that have taken the lives of at least 19 people and has further disrupted an economy already in the throes of a devastating downturn brought on by a global pandemic and crippling economic sanctions .
Leaks emerging out of Israel have identified the apartheid state as the rouge actor wreaking havoc on Iran .
Mossad chief , Yossi Cohen , was outed by a political rival as the source of anonymous leaks linking Israel to the conflagration at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story had made the rounds earlier when an unknown “ Iranian dissident group calling itself the Homeland Cheetahs ” reportedly contacted the BBC to take credit for the blast and claimed that it was part of an “ ongoing campaign of sabotage against Iranian strategic sites.
” But , neither the story nor the group ’ s existence were ever confirmed .
The first in a string of recent fires and explosions took place on June 25 when a “ huge ” blast took down a power plant in Shiraz , east of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several parts of the nation ’ s capital .
Two more military sites believed to house nuclear and missile production facilities on the eastern edge of Tehran were also attacked over the course of these last few weeks and just two days ago , on July 19 , a new explosion rocked a power station in Iran ’ s Isfahan Province in what is also believed to be the work of Israeli cyberattacks , bringing the total of military and civilian sites targeted to eight .
The most high profile incident occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear site in Natanz was targeted in a cyberattack which caused an explosion at the underground facility , reportedly “ set [ ting ] back the Iranian nuclear program by two months.
” The attack was egregious enough to elicit an unusual statement from the Iranian state news agency , blaming Israel and the U.S. directly for the incident .
With these attacks , Israel intends to provoke a belligerent response by Rouhani ’ s government , while also seeding a narrative of cyber warfare as the next theater of global combat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burgeoning partnership with the U.S. National Security state to build a juggernaut of mass surveillance .
The precedent for Israeli cyberattacks on Iran is strong .
Perhaps the most salient example is U.S.-Israeli Stuxnet project , a computer virus developed in tandem with the U.S. and an “ elite ” Unit 8200 team , led by Lior Div – an Israeli software engineer who went on to found a company called Cybereason , which has been running doomsday cyberattack scenarios for the upcoming 2020 U.S. elections .
The project was first authorized by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran ’ s nuclear centrifuges , according to “ experts ” at Israel ’ s Dimona complex .
It was carried out a decade ago at the same facility targeted in early July .
The comparable “ complexity ” of the covert operation has led many familiar with the matter to the conclusion that Israel was also behind the latest round of sabotage on Iran ’ s underground nuclear facility .
Only six years later , a cyberwarfare program code named “ Nitro Zeus ” was developed in the early days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case the diplomatic effort to limit its nuclear program failed and led to a military conflict.
” The operation was intended to take down Iran ’ s air defenses , power grid , and communications systems , but was “ shelved ” after the JCPOA ( Iran Nuclear Deal ) was signed .
In tandem with Nitro Zeus , “ American intelligence agencies ” were busy making separate plans to disable the Fordo nuclear enrichment site through a cyberattack .
The project was intended as a follow-up to the program code named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Stuxnet virus , as well as the Flame malware , that attacked computers running Windows operating systems .
Given this robust history of cyber warfare against Iran by the U.S. and Israel , consensus has been quick to build around the idea that these same actors have , in fact , been behind all of the recent attacks in Iran .
Furthermore , according to NSC member , Eric Brewer , it ’ s enough that the Iranian leadership believes that it is the case .
“ Given that these [ attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and civilian locations ” , he stated , “ that is going to cause Iran ’ s threat perceptions to spike.
” Barely two days into 2020 , the Trump administration assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and set the stage for a relentless campaign of provocation against the Middle Eastern nation that has persisted until today .
The patently illegal hit job on one of Iran ’ s top military leaders was a textbook application of Israel ’ s so-called Octopus Doctrine ; brainchild of Israeli Defense Minister , formerly Education Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the world could be living with conflict in the Middle East for 100 years .
The doctrine entails murdering “ Iranian advisers and officials who direct and support proxy forces in other countries.
” Trump ’ s willingness to do the bidding of Israel ’ s policy of aggression should come as no surprise and is the reason Netanyahu and company are trying to take advantage of the most Israel-friendly administration in American political history , putting as much pressure as possible on Iran , which is presently reeling with unemployment rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informal service sector that is languishing under coronavirus-imposed lockdowns .
The conditions for catastrophic civil unrest in Iran haven ’ t been this ripe since the CIA-sponsored overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh seventy years ago .
The seeding of a cyber warfare narrative has been coming from virtually every corner of the Israeli state .
Tamir Pardo , former head of Mossad , recently claimed that the COVID-19 outbreak would unleash a “ global scale crisis on three fronts : medical , social , and financial ” and that “ cyberwars ” would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for “ cheaper solutions ” at “ state level , between companies , and between criminal organizations.
” As is the case with many former Mossad and IDF personnel , Pardo is currently part of a cybersecurity company called XM Cyber , which offers the very services the cyber warriors he envisions will need to plan out their offensive or defensive operations .
“ Whoever finds a remedy or vaccine for Covid-19 will become a major target for attackers ” , Pardo asserts , predicting the emergence of “ cyber conflicts between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of cybernetic dog-eat-dog future .
In May , a purported Iranian cyberattack on six Israeli water treatment plants that was ostensibly foiled by Israeli “ cyber ” authorities took place .
Stories were circulated in the aftermath about how the attack “ could have sickened hundreds , ” despite the fact that no evidence of an attack of any kind was ever produced .
Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennet pushed for a “ strong ” response , which eventually manifested as a cyberattack targeting Iran ’ s Shahid Rajaee Port terminal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hormuz .
Another supposed cyberattack on Israel ’ s water system took place on July 17 .
Israeli officials claim that “ two attacks were aimed at agricultural water pumps in the Upper Galilee and infrastructure in the centre of the country , ” and while no culprit was named , it is implied that Iran carried out these attacks , as well .
Israeli media has been propagating this narrative since the first ostensible cyberattack on the water processing plants , which – like the last one – resulted in no damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran and a crossing of a red line.
” The head of Israel ’ s National Cyber Directorate warned on that occasion that we were just seeing “ the beginning ” and that a “ cyber winter is coming.
” Other , more “ moderate ” Israeli voices , like Amos Yadlin , the head of the Institute for National Security Studies , and a former head of IDF military intelligence , have looked approvingly upon this shift in focus for Israeli policy .
“ According to foreign sources , it appears that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran rather than [ his plan for West Bank ] annexation , ” he tweeted last Friday , adding that this was the very policy the veteran of the Yom Kippur war has been recommending .
“ If Israel is accused by official sources ” , he continued , “ then we need to be operationally prepared for the possibility of an Iranian reaction ( through cyber , firing missiles from Syria or a terror attack overseas ) .
” The drumbeat for war with Iran seems to be intensifying as 2020 reaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyberattacks are to play an inciting role in the coming conflict is being drilled into the collective mind .
The U.S. and Israel are committed to exploiting invisible and unverifiable “ attacks ” on systems , which they themselves have built and sold to the world with backdoors to the very technology they claim are the target of “ malicious actors ” , who also happen to be in the way of their global interests .
Iran , for its part , is comfortable stating that “ the Iranian government does not engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spokesman for Iran ’ s mission to the UN , told the Washington Post .
We can take his word for it , or trust the claims of Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky , which “ closely tracks Iranian hacking activity ” and has put forward unsubstantiated accounts of Iranian hacking of U.S. pharmaceutical company , Gilead Sciences Inc .
The choice may be one between war and peace .
Feature photo | The scene of a mysterious explosion at the Sina At ’ har health centre in the north of Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kholousi ISNA

Israel is believed to be behind several recent acts of sabotage against Iranian civilian and military infrastructure, including a hospital, that have taken the lives of at least 19 people and has further disrupted an economy already in the throes of a devastating downturn brought on by a global pandemic and crippling economic sanctions.
Leaks emerging out of Israel have identified the apartheid state as the rouge actor wreaking havoc on Iran. Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, was outed by a political rival as the source of anonymous leaks linking Israel to the conflagration at a Iranian nuclear facility. A different story had made the rounds earlier when an unknown “Iranian dissident group calling itself the Homeland Cheetahs” reportedly contacted the BBC to take credit for the blast and claimed that it was part of an “ongoing campaign of sabotage against Iranian strategic sites.” But, neither the story nor the group’s existence were ever confirmed.
The first in a string of recent fires and explosions took place on June 25 when a “huge” blast took down a power plant in Shiraz, east of Tehran, and caused an extensive blackout in several parts of the nation’s capital. Two more military sites believed to house nuclear and missile production facilities on the eastern edge of Tehran were also attacked over the course of these last few weeks and just two days ago, on July 19, a new explosion rocked a power station in Iran’s Isfahan Province in what is also believed to be the work of Israeli cyberattacks, bringing the total of military and civilian sites targeted to eight.
The most high profile incident occurred on July 2, when the Iranian nuclear site in Natanz was targeted in a cyberattack which caused an explosion at the underground facility, reportedly “set[ting] back the Iranian nuclear program by two months.” The attack was egregious enough to elicit an unusual statement from the Iranian state news agency, blaming Israel and the U.S. directly for the incident.
With these attacks, Israel intends to provoke a belligerent response by Rouhani’s government, while also seeding a narrative of cyber warfare as the next theater of global combat, which perfectly dovetails with Israel’s burgeoning partnership with the U.S. National Security state to build a juggernaut of mass surveillance.
Exhibit A, B and C
The precedent for Israeli cyberattacks on Iran is strong. Perhaps the most salient example is U.S.-Israeli Stuxnet project, a computer virus developed in tandem with the U.S. and an “elite” Unit 8200 team, led by Lior Div – an Israeli software engineer who went on to found a company called Cybereason, which has been running doomsday cyberattack scenarios for the upcoming 2020 U.S. elections.
The project was first authorized by the Bush administration and involved the recreation of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, according to “experts” at Israel’s Dimona complex. It was carried out a decade ago at the same facility targeted in early July. The comparable “complexity” of the covert operation has led many familiar with the matter to the conclusion that Israel was also behind the latest round of sabotage on Iran’s underground nuclear facility.
Only six years later, a cyberwarfare program code named “Nitro Zeus” was developed in the early days of the Obama administration as a backup “in case the diplomatic effort to limit its nuclear program failed and led to a military conflict.” The operation was intended to take down Iran’s air defenses, power grid, and communications systems, but was “shelved” after the JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal) was signed. In tandem with Nitro Zeus, “American intelligence agencies” were busy making separate plans to disable the Fordo nuclear enrichment site through a cyberattack. The project was intended as a follow-up to the program code named “Olympic Games,” which included the Stuxnet virus, as well as the Flame malware, that attacked computers running Windows operating systems.
Given this robust history of cyber warfare against Iran by the U.S. and Israel, consensus has been quick to build around the idea that these same actors have, in fact, been behind all of the recent attacks in Iran. Furthermore, according to NSC member, Eric Brewer, it’s enough that the Iranian leadership believes that it is the case. “Given that these [attacks] are hitting all across Iran at military and civilian locations”, he stated, “that is going to cause Iran’s threat perceptions to spike.”
Israel’s trump card
Barely two days into 2020, the Trump administration assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and set the stage for a relentless campaign of provocation against the Middle Eastern nation that has persisted until today. The patently illegal hit job on one of Iran’s top military leaders was a textbook application of Israel’s so-called Octopus Doctrine; brainchild of Israeli Defense Minister, formerly Education Minister, Naftali Bennet, who once stated that the world could be living with conflict in the Middle East for 100 years.
The doctrine entails murdering “Iranian advisers and officials who direct and support proxy forces in other countries.” Trump’s willingness to do the bidding of Israel’s policy of aggression should come as no surprise and is the reason Netanyahu and company are trying to take advantage of the most Israel-friendly administration in American political history, putting as much pressure as possible on Iran, which is presently reeling with unemployment rates hovering around 35 percent and a large informal service sector that is languishing under coronavirus-imposed lockdowns. The conditions for catastrophic civil unrest in Iran haven’t been this ripe since the CIA-sponsored overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh seventy years ago.
The seeding of a cyber warfare narrative has been coming from virtually every corner of the Israeli state. Tamir Pardo, former head of Mossad, recently claimed that the COVID-19 outbreak would unleash a “global scale crisis on three fronts: medical, social, and financial” and that “cyberwars” would be the method of choice for cash-strapped nations looking for “cheaper solutions” at “state level, between companies, and between criminal organizations.”
As is the case with many former Mossad and IDF personnel, Pardo is currently part of a cybersecurity company called XM Cyber, which offers the very services the cyber warriors he envisions will need to plan out their offensive or defensive operations. “Whoever finds a remedy or vaccine for Covid-19 will become a major target for attackers”, Pardo asserts, predicting the emergence of “cyber conflicts between political and commercial adversaries” in a kind of cybernetic dog-eat-dog future.
A matter of cyber convenience
In May, a purported Iranian cyberattack on six Israeli water treatment plants that was ostensibly foiled by Israeli “cyber” authorities took place. Stories were circulated in the aftermath about how the attack “could have sickened hundreds,” despite the fact that no evidence of an attack of any kind was ever produced. Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennet pushed for a “strong” response, which eventually manifested as a cyberattack targeting Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port terminal in Bandar Abbas on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Another supposed cyberattack on Israel’s water system took place on July 17. Israeli officials claim that “two attacks were aimed at agricultural water pumps in the Upper Galilee and infrastructure in the centre of the country,” and while no culprit was named, it is implied that Iran carried out these attacks, as well. Israeli media has been propagating this narrative since the first ostensible cyberattack on the water processing plants, which – like the last one – resulted in no damage deeming it a “significant escalation by Iran and a crossing of a red line.”
The head of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate warned on that occasion that we were just seeing “the beginning” and that a “cyber winter is coming.” Other, more “moderate” Israeli voices, like Amos Yadlin, the head of the Institute for National Security Studies, and a former head of IDF military intelligence, have looked approvingly upon this shift in focus for Israeli policy. “According to foreign sources, it appears that the prime minister focused this week on Iran rather than [his plan for West Bank] annexation,” he tweeted last Friday, adding that this was the very policy the veteran of the Yom Kippur war has been recommending.
“If Israel is accused by official sources”, he continued, “then we need to be operationally prepared for the possibility of an Iranian reaction (through cyber, firing missiles from Syria or a terror attack overseas).”
The drumbeat for war with Iran seems to be intensifying as 2020 reaches its halfway point and the narrative that cyberattacks are to play an inciting role in the coming conflict is being drilled into the collective mind. The U.S. and Israel are committed to exploiting invisible and unverifiable “attacks” on systems, which they themselves have built and sold to the world with backdoors to the very technology they claim are the target of “malicious actors”, who also happen to be in the way of their global interests.
Iran, for its part, is comfortable stating that “the Iranian government does not engage in cyberwarfare”, as Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran’s mission to the UN, told the Washington Post. We can take his word for it, or trust the claims of Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky, which “closely tracks Iranian hacking activity” and has put forward unsubstantiated accounts of Iranian hacking of U.S. pharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences Inc. The choice may be one between war and peace.
Feature photo | The scene of a mysterious explosion at the Sina At’har health centre in the north of Iran’s capital Tehran. Photo | Amir Kholousi ISNA
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.