southfront--2020-09-15--The Virus – Who’s To Blame? Man, Nature, God, All Of The Above?

The mutual accusations and recriminations between China and the US as to the origin and nature of COVID-19 are likely to intensify again as a Chinese scientist who recently fled the country has claimed that the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory .
Earlier in the year , senior Chinese officials suggested that the virus may have originated in the US before being transmitted to China , and called for a detailed investigation of ‘ patient zero ’ in each country and the subsequent trajectory of the virus .
On Saturday Zero Hedge reported that Dr. Li-Meng Yan – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) who fled the country – appeared last week on British television where she claimed SARS-CoV-2 , the virus which causes COVID-19 , was created by Chinese scientists in a laboratory .
Earlier today another report by Zero Hedge notes that on Sunday , Li-Meng took her accusations to Twitter – and on Monday , she tweeted a link to a paper she co-authored with three other Chinese scientists titled “ Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Li-Meng Yan stated : “ The evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 should be a laboratory product created by using bat coronaviruses ZC45 and/or ZXC21 as a template and/or backbone .
Building upon the evidence , we further postulate a synthetic route for SARS-CoV-2 , demonstrating that the laboratory-creation of this coronavirus is convenient and can be accomplished in approximately six months… The receptor-binding motif of SARS-CoV-2 Spike can not be born from nature and should have been created through genetic engineering.
” She goes on to cite numerous publications by scientific researchers based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of virus strains , and alleges that they were conducting research aimed at the “ enhancement of the infectivity and pathogenicity of the laboratory-made coronavirus ” .
This is not the first time that specific allegations have been made claiming that COVID-19 was created in a laboratory , whether in China or elsewhere .
In March of this year Veterans Today reported : In October 2019 , the US brought 172 ( really 369 ) military athletes to Wuhan for the World Military Games .
Despite having the largest military in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 35th behind nations like Iran , Finland and Slovenia .
No video or photos exist of the US team , no records were kept , a huge team but a pitiful performance for the best military in the world .
The US team did so badly that they were called “ Soy Sauce Soldiers ” by the Chinese .
In fact , many never participated in any event and stayed near the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market , where the disease is said to have originated only days after the US left the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on October 28 , 2019 , and within 2 weeks , the first human contact cases of COVID 19 were seen in Wuhan .
The Chinese have not been able to find ‘ patient zero ’ and believe he was a member of the US team .
They also have sources that say the US had misrepresented influenza that Trump claims have killed thousands , influenza carried to China by the US team , influenza that was really COVID 19 , a disease developed in a military bio-warfare facility in the state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US for COVID 19 .
The Chinese claim , something censored in the US , that the inattentive attitude and disproportionately below average results of American athletes in the game indicates they might have been in for other purposes and they might actually be bio-warfare operatives , and that their place of residence during their stay in Wuhan was also close to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market , where the first known cluster of cases occurred .
A report from RT , cited in the same article by Veterans Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US army might have brought the novel coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) to China ’ s Wuhan , the city where the virus was first detected in the country , Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday .
“ When did patient zero begin in the US ?
How many people are infected ?
What are the names of the hospitals ?
It might be the US army that brought the epidemic to Wuhan .
Be transparent !
Make public your data !
The US owes us an explanation !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson Lijian Zhao has demanded US authorities reveal what they ’ re hiding about the origins of Covid-19 , going as far as to suggest the coronavirus may have been brought to China by the US military .
A follow-up investigation by Veterans Today tracked related research to a university in North Carolina .
The most recent claims could set off another round of mutual accusations and recriminations , amplified and distorted by the hostility and mutual suspicion that currently exists between China and the US .
The urgent need for an impartial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a previous report by South Front .
The South Front report noted that the vast scale and inherently secretive , fragmented , compartmentalized nature of military and corporate R & D programs makes even the most minimally effective forms of rational oversight and control impossible , raising the spectre of the apocalyptic Hollywood scenarios of Artificial Intelligence robots , nuclear , biological or some other type of cataclysmic weapons wreaking havoc .
There is no supervision and accountability for the experiments and activities going on beyond those actually involved in the projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just in terms of the technical details but in terms of the fundamental aspects of objectives , goals and assessing the inherent risks of the programs , whether at the local , national or international level .
The Coronavirus outbreak is a case in point .
Who can say whether it is a natural mutation or a laboratory invention that escaped or was deliberately released ?
Gilad Atzmon has written a thought provoking piece on this .
Atzmon ’ s analysis contains many pertinent preliminary points for an investigation of the source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have recently heard from frontline medical physicians that the current global health crisis is something they have not been trained to deal with nor do they fully understand the spectrum of symptoms they encounter in hospitals and emergency centres… Since we do not know its provenance , we should treat the current epidemic as a potentially criminal act as well as a medical event .
We must begin the search for the perpetrators who may be at the centre of this possible crime of global genocidal proportions .
While medical diagnosis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nature of the cause of a disease .
• a concise technical description of the cause , nature , and/or manifestations of the symptoms .
Criminal investigations are primarily engaged with the human element .
The criminal investigator seeks to ascertain the methods , motives , and identities of criminals , the identity of victims and may also search for and interrogate witnesses to the crime .
Treating the Corona virus as a crime would mean searching for possible offenders : individuals , institutions , or states that may have created the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program or more directly , as an agent of biological warfare .
Law enforcement agencies often allocate dozens of investigators , officers , detectives and agents to untangle a single homicide .
One would expect that following the deaths of tens of thousands around the globe , every police force , government and intelligence agency would join forces in the attempt to identify the possible culprit ( s ) at the root of the coronavirus crisis .
We may be dealing with a negligent or criminal event on a massive scale… A number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research centres have been engaged in the study of corona viruses and experimented with models that resemble the current virus .
Specifically , some have pointed to a North Carolina laboratory that experimented with the viruses extracted from bats in 2015… In 2014 the US National Institute of Health removed its funding of gain-of-function ( GOF ) experiments involving the influenza , SARS , and MERS viruses… Treating the Corona virus outbreak as a crime ought to include a visit by the FBI to the office of the National Institute of Health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to American laboratories conducting GOF experiments with Coronavirus .
This investigative procedure must be exercised in every region and country in the world that has engaged in GOF experiments… A criminal investigation would have to examine Chinese as well as Russian , British , French , German , etc .
laboratories and their safety records… Israel , with its extensive biological warfare laboratories and WMD facilities must also be subject to thorough scrutiny… ” Several detailed investigative reports by Dilyana Gaytandzhieva provide considerable sources of information and preliminary evidence concerning possible bio-warfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Veterans Today ( LINK1 , LINK2 ) .
There are of course many , many other investigations , all of which must be collated and cross-checked , verified or dismissed .
A ‘ crime scene ’ based analysis must consider all possible culprits , to start with all countries that possess knowledge and capabilities in all related fields of technology and research , development and production , until and unless it has been demonstrated to everyone ’ s satisfaction that they can be eliminated from the list of suspects .
Any countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others ( such as the US and China , which have been exchanging mutual accusations for some time now ) must either disclose their evidence and reasons behind their accusations for independent verification by the world community or shut up .
If the ‘ international community ’ and national government are genuinely interested in determining the source and nature of the virus , all formal and documented accusations must be thoroughly and transparently investigated , with all countries contributing their most experienced and highly qualified scientific , medical , forensic and other experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus in their country as well as contribute to the international investigation .
Their efforts must be subject to thorough peer review as well as full and informed public analysis and debate – the world can not afford more of the ‘ national security ’ , ‘ Security Council veto ’ , ‘ diplomatic immunities and privileges ’ , ‘ commercial confidentiality ’ , ‘ trade secrets ’ , ‘ it ’ s too complicated for the masses to understand ’ bullshit .
In at least some cases , possibly many , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases and research facilities in other countries ; these must of course be included .
The US is undoubtedly the most prolific in this regard , engaging in many secretive bilateral agreements , contracts and partnerships to conduct nobody seems to know what exactly – least of all the citizens of ‘ host countries ’ affected .
The links to the investigative reports above provides a wealth of starting points in this respect .
But it is not just Nation-States that must be considered .
It is most important to include all facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in related activities .
Some of these corporate-industrial-scientific behemoths are probably the only institutions that are even close to matching the capabilities of ‘ The Pentagon ’ to outsource , offshore and camouflage programs and installations for the research , development and production of materials related to biological weapons .
This would include all of the biochemical , pharmaceutical , etc .
giants , as well as all other major research and development foundations of all types involved in activities in potentially related fields .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Apocalypse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop new high tech weapons systems • US plan to establish Asia-Pacific NATO-type formal alliance against China

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The mutual accusations and recriminations between China and the US as to the origin and nature of COVID-19 are likely to intensify again as a Chinese scientist who recently fled the country has claimed that the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory. Earlier in the year, senior Chinese officials suggested that the virus may have originated in the US before being transmitted to China, and called for a detailed investigation of ‘patient zero’ in each country and the subsequent trajectory of the virus.
On Saturday Zero Hedge reported that Dr. Li-Meng Yan – a Chinese virologist (MD, PhD) who fled the country – appeared last week on British television where she claimed SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, was created by Chinese scientists in a laboratory.
Earlier today another report by Zero Hedge notes that on Sunday, Li-Meng took her accusations to Twitter – and on Monday, she tweeted a link to a paper she co-authored with three other Chinese scientists titled “Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route”.
Summing up her research and conclusions Li-Meng Yan stated:
“The evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 should be a laboratory product created by using bat coronaviruses ZC45 and/or ZXC21 as a template and/or backbone. Building upon the evidence, we further postulate a synthetic route for SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating that the laboratory-creation of this coronavirus is convenient and can be accomplished in approximately six months… The receptor-binding motif of SARS-CoV-2 Spike cannot be born from nature and should have been created through genetic engineering.” She goes on to cite numerous publications by scientific researchers based in Wuhan relating to the investigation of a variety of virus strains, and alleges that they were conducting research aimed at the “enhancement of the infectivity and pathogenicity of the laboratory-made coronavirus”.
This is not the first time that specific allegations have been made claiming that COVID-19 was created in a laboratory, whether in China or elsewhere. In March of this year Veterans Today reported:
In October 2019, the US brought 172 (really 369) military athletes to Wuhan for the World Military Games. Despite having the largest military in the world, tenfold, the US came in 35th behind nations like Iran, Finland and Slovenia. No video or photos exist of the US team, no records were kept, a huge team but a pitiful performance for the best military in the world. The US team did so badly that they were called “Soy Sauce Soldiers” by the Chinese. In fact, many never participated in any event and stayed near the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the disease is said to have originated only days after the US left the area. The US team went home on October 28, 2019, and within 2 weeks, the first human contact cases of COVID 19 were seen in Wuhan. The Chinese have not been able to find ‘patient zero’ and believe he was a member of the US team. They also have sources that say the US had misrepresented influenza that Trump claims have killed thousands, influenza carried to China by the US team, influenza that was really COVID 19, a disease developed in a military bio-warfare facility in the state of Washington, now ‘ground zero’ in the US for COVID 19. The Chinese claim, something censored in the US, that the inattentive attitude and disproportionately below average results of American athletes in the game indicates they might have been in for other purposes and they might actually be bio-warfare operatives, and that their place of residence during their stay in Wuhan was also close to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the first known cluster of cases occurred.
A report from RT, cited in the same article by Veterans Today, also noted the allegations, stating:
The US army might have brought the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to China’s Wuhan, the city where the virus was first detected in the country, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday. “When did patient zero begin in the US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be the US army that brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! The US owes us an explanation!” Zhao tweeted. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lijian Zhao has demanded US authorities reveal what they’re hiding about the origins of Covid-19, going as far as to suggest the coronavirus may have been brought to China by the US military.
A follow-up investigation by Veterans Today tracked related research to a university in North Carolina.
The most recent claims could set off another round of mutual accusations and recriminations, amplified and distorted by the hostility and mutual suspicion that currently exists between China and the US. The urgent need for an impartial and fact-based international investigation has been emphasized in a previous report by South Front.
The South Front report noted that the vast scale and inherently secretive, fragmented, compartmentalized nature of military and corporate R&D programs makes even the most minimally effective forms of rational oversight and control impossible, raising the spectre of the apocalyptic Hollywood scenarios of Artificial Intelligence robots, nuclear, biological or some other type of cataclysmic weapons wreaking havoc.
There is no supervision and accountability for the experiments and activities going on beyond those actually involved in the projects and their military and corporate overseers, not just in terms of the technical details but in terms of the fundamental aspects of objectives, goals and assessing the inherent risks of the programs, whether at the local, national or international level.
The Coronavirus outbreak is a case in point. Who can say whether it is a natural mutation or a laboratory invention that escaped or was deliberately released? Gilad Atzmon has written a thought provoking piece on this.
Atzmon’s analysis contains many pertinent preliminary points for an investigation of the source and nature of the virus:
“We have recently heard from frontline medical physicians that the current global health crisis is something they have not been trained to deal with nor do they fully understand the spectrum of symptoms they encounter in hospitals and emergency centres… Since we do not know its provenance, we should treat the current epidemic as a potentially criminal act as well as a medical event. We must begin the search for the perpetrators who may be at the centre of this possible crime of global genocidal proportions. While medical diagnosis is defined by: a determination of the nature of the cause of a disease. a concise technical description of the cause, nature, and/or manifestations of the symptoms. Criminal investigations are primarily engaged with the human element. The criminal investigator seeks to ascertain the methods, motives, and identities of criminals, the identity of victims and may also search for and interrogate witnesses to the crime. Treating the Corona virus as a crime would mean searching for possible offenders: individuals, institutions, or states that may have created the lethal virus as part of a research program or more directly, as an agent of biological warfare. Law enforcement agencies often allocate dozens of investigators, officers, detectives and agents to untangle a single homicide. One would expect that following the deaths of tens of thousands around the globe, every police force, government and intelligence agency would join forces in the attempt to identify the possible culprit(s) at the root of the coronavirus crisis. We may be dealing with a negligent or criminal event on a massive scale… A number of scientists have commented that laboratories and research centres have been engaged in the study of corona viruses and experimented with models that resemble the current virus. Specifically, some have pointed to a North Carolina laboratory that experimented with the viruses extracted from bats in 2015… In 2014 the US National Institute of Health removed its funding of gain-of-function (GOF) experiments involving the influenza, SARS, and MERS viruses… Treating the Corona virus outbreak as a crime ought to include a visit by the FBI to the office of the National Institute of Health and a careful review of all the files related to American laboratories conducting GOF experiments with Coronavirus. This investigative procedure must be exercised in every region and country in the world that has engaged in GOF experiments… A criminal investigation would have to examine Chinese as well as Russian, British, French, German, etc. laboratories and their safety records… Israel, with its extensive biological warfare laboratories and WMD facilities must also be subject to thorough scrutiny…”
Several detailed investigative reports by Dilyana Gaytandzhieva provide considerable sources of information and preliminary evidence concerning possible bio-warfare programs, as do numerous reports filed by Veterans Today (LINK1, LINK2).
There are of course many, many other investigations, all of which must be collated and cross-checked, verified or dismissed.
A ‘crime scene’ based analysis must consider all possible culprits, to start with all countries that possess knowledge and capabilities in all related fields of technology and research, development and production, until and unless it has been demonstrated to everyone’s satisfaction that they can be eliminated from the list of suspects.
Any countries that are prepared to make allegations against others (such as the US and China, which have been exchanging mutual accusations for some time now) must either disclose their evidence and reasons behind their accusations for independent verification by the world community or shut up.
If the ‘international community’ and national government are genuinely interested in determining the source and nature of the virus, all formal and documented accusations must be thoroughly and transparently investigated, with all countries contributing their most experienced and highly qualified scientific, medical, forensic and other experts to investigate the characteristics and impacts of the virus in their country as well as contribute to the international investigation.
Their efforts must be subject to thorough peer review as well as full and informed public analysis and debate – the world cannot afford more of the ‘national security’, ‘Security Council veto’, ‘diplomatic immunities and privileges’, ‘commercial confidentiality’, ‘trade secrets’, ‘it’s too complicated for the masses to understand’ bullshit.
In at least some cases, possibly many, a country has established military and scientific bases and research facilities in other countries; these must of course be included. The US is undoubtedly the most prolific in this regard, engaging in many secretive bilateral agreements, contracts and partnerships to conduct nobody seems to know what exactly – least of all the citizens of ‘host countries’ affected. The links to the investigative reports above provides a wealth of starting points in this respect.
But it is not just Nation-States that must be considered. It is most important to include all facilities and activities of the sprawling financial-military-industrial complex involved in related activities. Some of these corporate-industrial-scientific behemoths are probably the only institutions that are even close to matching the capabilities of ‘The Pentagon’ to outsource, offshore and camouflage programs and installations for the research, development and production of materials related to biological weapons. This would include all of the biochemical, pharmaceutical, etc. giants, as well as all other major research and development foundations of all types involved in activities in potentially related fields.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-09-15--Palestinians Call For Mass Protests As UAE And Bahrain Celebrate Normalization At The White House

Reflecting universal condemnation of the two agreements by Palestinians , Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says the normalization accords between Israel , the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) and Bahrain amount to yet another ‘ black day ’ for the Arab world .
The announcement on Friday of last week that Bahrain has reached an agreement , brokered by Washington , on normalizing ties with Israel follows a period of intense lobbying , pressure and inducements by the USA and Israel to get as many Arab and Islamic countries as possible to normalize relations with Israel as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UAE and Bahrain have agreed to formalize the agreements at a ceremony on Tuesday at the White House .
The Palestinians have universally condemned the two agreements to normalize relations with Israel , which have produced a rupture in a long-standing Arab consensus that any normalization of ties with Israel has to come in the context of the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state .
On Monday , the prime minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority once again denounced the normalization agreements and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black day ’ for Arabs in general and for Palestinians in particular .
“ Tomorrow , we will witness a black day in the history of the Arab world , of defeat for Arab League institutions , which are not united but divided , ” Shtayyeh said during the weekly meeting of the cabinet of the Palestinian Authority .
On the 9th of September , the Arab League refused to approve a draft resolution submitted by the Palestinian Authority that would have condemned the controversial UAE-Israel normalization deal , following a video conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last week to discuss the matter .
“ After a three-hour debate , some Arab countries refused to include [ a ] statement condemning [ the UAE ] for abandoning Arab decisions , ” Palestinian Authority Representative to the Arab League Muhannad al-Aklouk told Ma ’ an News afterwards , referring to the long-standing Arab consensus over a “ two-state solution ” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along the 1967 borders .
Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki told reporters that the “ discussions regarding this point were serious .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did not lead in the end to agreement about the draft resolution that was proposed by the Palestinian side.
” He blamed the Palestinians for the failure of the pan-Arab body to endorse the resolution , claiming they had insisted that they would either accept a condemnation or no statement at all .
“ A number of amendments were proposed , and then counter-amendments … and we were at a point in which Palestinian demands had not been realized , and the Palestinians preferred it not to pass rather than have it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be inadequate , ” Zaki said .
Although the meeting failed to adopt the resolution submitted by the Palestinians , the Arab foreign ministers did agree to emphasize in the final communiqué the member States ’ ongoing commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative as well as the two-state solution and the land-for-peace principle as part of any resolution of the decades-long conflict with Israel .
LINK The Palestinian prime minister said that the Palestinian Authority would have to ‘ correct ’ its relationship with the Arab League following its refusal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has called for mass protests to be held on Tuesday , urging other Arab states “ not to take part in celebrations ” for the signing ceremony in Washington .
On Sunday , Mahmoud al-Zahhar , the co-founder of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and a member of its political bureau , called for the formation of an international bloc against the Israeli-American alliance and its vassals in the Middle East region , the Palestinian Information Center reported .
He argued that the UAE and Bahrain have lined with Tel Aviv and become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extinguish Palestinian rights and complete the dispossession of the Palestinian people .
The Hamas official also called for the formation of a firm and united front , composed of all Arab and Islamic nations , to isolate and besiege the rulers of the UAE and Bahrain and impose a political and economic boycott on the two countries .
LINK The Secretary of Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council ( SNSC ) Ali Shamkhani said on Monday that the agreements to normalize relations with Israel will fail to help Tel Aviv realize its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greater Israel .
Shamkhani made the comments during a meeting in Tehran with the former Iraqi prime minister , Nouri al-Maliki , who currently leads Iraq ’ s State of Law Coalition .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Jordan Iraq and Egypt try to get Arab peace initiative back on the geopolitical agenda • US on again off again partial troop withdrawal from Iraq on again

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Reflecting universal condemnation of the two agreements by Palestinians, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says the normalization accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain amount to yet another ‘black day’ for the Arab world.
The announcement on Friday of last week that Bahrain has reached an agreement, brokered by Washington, on normalizing ties with Israel follows a period of intense lobbying, pressure and inducements by the USA and Israel to get as many Arab and Islamic countries as possible to normalize relations with Israel as soon as possible.
Adding to the spectacle, the UAE and Bahrain have agreed to formalize the agreements at a ceremony on Tuesday at the White House.
The Palestinians have universally condemned the two agreements to normalize relations with Israel, which have produced a rupture in a long-standing Arab consensus that any normalization of ties with Israel has to come in the context of the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
On Monday, the prime minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority once again denounced the normalization agreements and said signing them would amount to a ‘black day’ for Arabs in general and for Palestinians in particular. “Tomorrow, we will witness a black day in the history of the Arab world, of defeat for Arab League institutions, which are not united but divided,” Shtayyeh said during the weekly meeting of the cabinet of the Palestinian Authority.
On the 9th of September, the Arab League refused to approve a draft resolution submitted by the Palestinian Authority that would have condemned the controversial UAE-Israel normalization deal, following a video conference meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday of last week to discuss the matter.
“After a three-hour debate, some Arab countries refused to include [a] statement condemning [the UAE] for abandoning Arab decisions,” Palestinian Authority Representative to the Arab League Muhannad al-Aklouk told Ma’an News afterwards, referring to the long-standing Arab consensus over a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along the 1967 borders. Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki told reporters that the “discussions regarding this point were serious. It was comprehensive and took some time. But it did not lead in the end to agreement about the draft resolution that was proposed by the Palestinian side.” He blamed the Palestinians for the failure of the pan-Arab body to endorse the resolution, claiming they had insisted that they would either accept a condemnation or no statement at all. “A number of amendments were proposed, and then counter-amendments … and we were at a point in which Palestinian demands had not been realized, and the Palestinians preferred it not to pass rather than have it pass in a manner which they believed to be inadequate,” Zaki said.
Although the meeting failed to adopt the resolution submitted by the Palestinians, the Arab foreign ministers did agree to emphasize in the final communiqué the member States’ ongoing commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative as well as the two-state solution and the land-for-peace principle as part of any resolution of the decades-long conflict with Israel. LINK
The Palestinian prime minister said that the Palestinian Authority would have to ‘correct’ its relationship with the Arab League following its refusal to condemn the agreement.
The Palestinian Authority has called for mass protests to be held on Tuesday, urging other Arab states “not to take part in celebrations” for the signing ceremony in Washington.
On Sunday, Mahmoud al-Zahhar, the co-founder of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and a member of its political bureau, called for the formation of an international bloc against the Israeli-American alliance and its vassals in the Middle East region, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
He argued that the UAE and Bahrain have lined with Tel Aviv and become accomplices to Israel’s determination to extinguish Palestinian rights and complete the dispossession of the Palestinian people.
The Hamas official also called for the formation of a firm and united front, composed of all Arab and Islamic nations, to isolate and besiege the rulers of the UAE and Bahrain and impose a political and economic boycott on the two countries. LINK
The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said on Monday that the agreements to normalize relations with Israel will fail to help Tel Aviv realize its ‘Nile-to-Euphrates’ ambitions to establish a Greater Israel. Shamkhani made the comments during a meeting in Tehran with the former Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who currently leads Iraq’s State of Law Coalition.
Condemning the “treacherous and compromising” Arab leaders who have sacrificed the interests of the Muslim world and the Palestinian cause in pursuit of their personal objectives, Iran’s security chief said, “The Muslim world will never allow the treacherous plot [of Israel] for the control [of Muslim territories] from the Nile to the Euphrates to be realized.” LINK
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southfront--2020-09-15--Russian Warplanes Pound Terrorists’ Training Camps Near Idlib (Map, Photos)

On September 15 , warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a new series of airstrikes on positions of Turkish-backed @ @ @ @ @ of the Syrian city of Idlib .
According to reports , the strikes hit facilities @ @ @ @ @ formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda ) near the villages of Sheikh Bahr and and @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC : • Turkish Red Crescent Member Killed In Syria , US Drone Strike @ @ @ @ @ Idlib • Syrian Army Artillery Devastates Militants ’ Positions In Idlib As Turks Suffer Fresh @ @ @

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On September 15, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a new series of airstrikes on positions of Turkish-backed terrroist groups in the countryside of the Syrian city of Idlib.
According to reports, the strikes hit facilities of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) near the villages of Sheikh Bahr and and Shaykh Dawud.
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southfront--2020-09-15--In Videos: US C-RAM System Intercepts Rockets Targeting Embassy Area In Baghdad

Last night , the US military employed its C-RAM ( counter rocket , artillery , and mortar ) system to @ @ @ @ @ on the US embassy area in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad .
MORE ON THE @ @ @ @ @ Crescent Member Killed In Syria , US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Field Commanders In Idlib @ @ @ @ @ Militants ’ Positions In Idlib As Turks Suffer Fresh Casualties In Afrin

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Last night, the US military employed its C-RAM (counter rocket, artillery, and mortar) system to intercept a new rocket strikes on the US embassy area in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
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southfront--2020-09-15--On The Verge Of Crisis

On The Verge Of Crisis

The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises .
This includes the global economic crisis , the COVID-19 outbreak , the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further .
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists .
Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view .
SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign .
The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented .
Despite this , our team is not going to surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage ( including text analyses , exclusive videos , maps and infographics ) .
Nonetheless , the situation remains critical .
Since September 1 , we ’ ve collected 1,283 USD .
This is about 25.66 % of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further .
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment , SouthFront operates thanks to the audience ’ s donations .
We will not be able to survive without your help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bitcoin and other options .
This systems accepts all types of cards , PayPal , Amazon Payments , bitcoin ( FAQ is under the main text , in P.S . )
You can subscribe for a monthly donation of $ 15 ( or any another amount ) OR make one time donation by clicking buttons below

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DEAR FRIENDS,
The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises. This includes the global economic crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak, the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further.
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists. Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view. SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign. The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Despite this, our team is not going to surrender. Thanks to your support, SouthFront survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage (including text analyses, exclusive videos, maps and infographics). Nonetheless, the situation remains critical.
Since September 1, we’ve collected 1,283 USD. This is about 25.66% of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further.
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment, SouthFront operates thanks to the audience’s donations. We will not be able to survive without your help.
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southfront--2020-09-15--Russia To Host Large-Scale Joint Military Exercises With China From 21 September

Approximately 80,000 military and emergency services personnel will take part in the Kavkaz-2020 joint strategic military exercise , scheduled to be held in Russia from September 21 to September 26 .
The large-scale exercise will include participants from several countries that are among Russia ’ s closest neighbours and allies including China , Belarus and Pakistan .
At a press conference on Monday the Russian Defence Ministry stated : It is expected that up to 250 tanks , 450 mechanized infantry fighting vehicles and APCs , as well as up to 200 artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems will participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be held under the command of Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov .
The Russian Defence Ministry added that five other countries have been invited to take part in the Kavkaz-2020 exercise , and it is expected that military units from those countries ( Armenia , Belarus , China , Myanmar and Pakistan ) will participate in the live fire drills , with a total of up to 1,000 foreign military personnel joining the exercise .
Representatives from Azerbaijan , Indonesia , Iran , Kazakhstan , Tajikistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as observers , according to the Ministry of Defence ’ s statements .
The Defence Ministry ’ s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper has reported that approximately 100 Chinese military have already arrived in Russia ’ s Astrakhan region to participate in the Kavkaz-2020 command and staff exercise .
Prior to leaving for Russia , the Chinese military were tested for coronavirus , and the exercises will be conducted in accordance with all necessary precautionary requirements to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic .
LINK The large-scale military exercises are of particular significance given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eastern Europe and the large number of US-led joint military exercises that have been held along the borders of both Russia and China this year , including frequent simulations of long-range attacks with strategic nuclear capable aircraft , warships and submarines .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • What We Know About Russia ’ s New Generation “ Tank-Killer ” Hermes

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Approximately 80,000 military and emergency services personnel will take part in the Kavkaz-2020 joint strategic military exercise, scheduled to be held in Russia from September 21 to September 26. The large-scale exercise will include participants from several countries that are among Russia’s closest neighbours and allies including China, Belarus and Pakistan.
At a press conference on Monday the Russian Defence Ministry stated:
“Overall about 80,000 people are expected to be involved in the Kavkaz-2020 strategic command and staff exercise (including combat support units, combat service support units and technical support units, as well as air defence and naval units, and special troops (the Federal National Guard Troops Service and the Ministry for Emergency Situations).”
It is expected that up to 250 tanks, 450 mechanized infantry fighting vehicles and APCs, as well as up to 200 artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems will participate in the exercise.
The exercise will be held under the command of Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov.
The Russian Defence Ministry added that five other countries have been invited to take part in the Kavkaz-2020 exercise, and it is expected that military units from those countries (Armenia, Belarus, China, Myanmar and Pakistan) will participate in the live fire drills, with a total of up to 1,000 foreign military personnel joining the exercise.
Representatives from Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka also plan to participate as observers, according to the Ministry of Defence’s statements.
The Defence Ministry’s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper has reported that approximately 100 Chinese military have already arrived in Russia’s Astrakhan region to participate in the Kavkaz-2020 command and staff exercise.
“Two Y-20 military transport aircraft of the Chinese Air Force with military of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on board have arrived in the Astrakhan region.” The aircraft brought an undisclosed cargo of military hardware along with the soldiers.
Prior to leaving for Russia, the Chinese military were tested for coronavirus, and the exercises will be conducted in accordance with all necessary precautionary requirements to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. LINK
The large-scale military exercises are of particular significance given the ongoing expansion of US military installations in eastern Europe and the large number of US-led joint military exercises that have been held along the borders of both Russia and China this year, including frequent simulations of long-range attacks with strategic nuclear capable aircraft, warships and submarines.
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southfront--2020-09-15--U.S. B-52H Strategic Bombers Fly Over Ukraine Again, As Lukashenko And Putin Meet In Sochi

On September 14th , three US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers , once again , entered Ukrainian airspace and flew along the Russian border .
Furthermore , the Ukrainian side said that patrols such as these of the 6 B-52H strategic bombers that are deployed in the UK will be carried out regularly in order to deter any Russian aggression .
B-52 crews provide collective defense capabilities for the United States , NATO Allies and Partners , as well as strategic and operational capabilities to deter Russia .
 The patrol took place exactly when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko landed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Crimea to have a working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin , and as such is a very thinly veiled warning of sorts .
Back on September 3rd , Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is hard at work towards joining both the EU and NATO and that the processes hadn ’ t been frozen .
“ The cooperation is by no means frozen .
My colleague [ Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration ] Olha Stefanishyna and I at the Foreign Ministry are also working vigorously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted several decisions that implement our obligations within the framework of relations with the EU , strengthen the mechanism for coordinating European integration within the country .
Olha initiated the move and the prime minister fully supported her .
Moreover , for the first time in the history of Ukraine , it ’ s the prime minister who will head the coordinating body , ” said Kuleba .
Just a day after his statement is when , for the first time ever , US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers flew over Ukrainian airspace and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC : • Ukraine ’ s Puzzling Enthusiasm In Inviting U.S.-Led Nuclear War On Its Territory • U.S .
Carries Out “ Historical ” B-25H Bomber Flight In Ukrainian Airspace Along Crimea And Eastern Ukraine

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On September 14th, three US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, once again, entered Ukrainian airspace and flew along the Russian border.
“Under the escort of Ukrainian fighters, the B-52 headed towards the Black Sea for a joint action with partner states in the field of collective security,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Facebook.
American strategic bombers have once again entered Ukrainian airspace.American partners are consistent in their… Posted by Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Monday, September 14, 2020
Furthermore, the Ukrainian side said that patrols such as these of the 6 B-52H strategic bombers that are deployed in the UK will be carried out regularly in order to deter any Russian aggression.
“Such patrols will be regular, as the B-52 missions in the skies of Ukraine are part of a long-planned deployment of six B-52s at Fairford Air Force Base of the Royal British Air Force,” it said.
B-52 crews provide collective defense capabilities for the United States, NATO Allies and Partners, as well as strategic and operational capabilities to deter Russia.
“American partners are consistent in their actions, supporting Ukraine, both on the diplomatic front and in the Ukrainian sky,” it said.
The patrol took place exactly when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko landed in Russia’s Sochi, not far from Crimea to have a working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and as such is a very thinly veiled warning of sorts.
Back on September 3rd, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is hard at work towards joining both the EU and NATO and that the processes hadn’t been frozen.
“The cooperation is by no means frozen. My colleague [Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration] Olha Stefanishyna and I at the Foreign Ministry are also working vigorously,” Kuleba said. “Yesterday we adopted several decisions that implement our obligations within the framework of relations with the EU, strengthen the mechanism for coordinating European integration within the country. Olha initiated the move and the prime minister fully supported her. Moreover, for the first time in the history of Ukraine, it’s the prime minister who will head the coordinating body,” said Kuleba.
Just a day after his statement is when, for the first time ever, US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers flew over Ukrainian airspace and along the Russian borders.
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southfront--2020-09-15--Iran Allegedly Plotting To Assassinate U.S. Ambassador To South Africa, Because Why Not?

On September 13th , Politico reported that Iran is allegedly planning an assassination against the U.S. ambassador to South Africa , according to an unnamed US government official and another official who had seen intelligence .
This was then repeated by US President Donald Trump .
This is reportedly in retaliation to the January 3rd assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone strike in Iraq ’ s capital Baghdad .
It turns out that Lana Marks , the ambassador to South Africa had been under a “ general threat ” since Spring 2020 .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more specific in August and September , and that the Iranian Embassy in Pretoria was allegedly involved in the plot .
Attacking Lana Marks is one of several courses of action that Tehran could allegedly undertake .
Marks has been made aware of the threat , the U.S. government official said .
The intelligence also has been included in the CIA World Intelligence Review , known as the WIRe , a classified product that is accessible to senior policy and security officials across the U.S. government , as well as certain lawmakers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sworn in as U.S. ambassador last October .
She ’ s known Trump for more than two decades and has been a member of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida .
She is famous for being a successful businesswoman , with her handbag designs selling for as much as $ 40,000 .
She was a personal friend of Princess Diana , and was born in South Africa , as a result she speaks Afrikaans and Xhosa .
Still , though , even Politico admits that Lana Marks has no known links to Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would even target her .
It is , however , easy to tie in to previous MSM reports , such as back in 2015 , when the Guardian and Al Jazeera reported on leaked intelligence documents that detailed an extensive secret network of Iranian operatives in South Africa .
It would be quite an asymmetric response , since Soleimani was a much more significant figure in Iranian internal and external policy and conduct than Lana Marks is for the US .
This is based on a US report which provides no evidence but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , cases .
Days after Soleimani was assassinated , Iran shot a salvo of ballistic missiles at a US military base in Iraq , and the list of damages and injuries kept expanding for months , after initially allegedly failing completely .
An initial target was reportedly the head of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie .
He said back in August that he expected a new “ response ” from Iran to America ’ s ongoing presence in Iraq .
McKenzie said Iran was “ our central problem ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Iranian proxies in Iraq had complicated U.S. efforts against ISIS , the radical Sunni terrorist organization and movement .
Iran and South Africa have cooperated on a number of fronts in recent decades , including at the U.N. , where South Africa has at times advocated for Iran .
South Africa also has uranium deposits , which are allegedly of interest to Iran , as the West continues to allege that it seeks to expand its nuclear program even further to develop weapons .
South Africa and Iran have also signed some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply holds water that a largely insignificant diplomat could potentially be assassinated by Iran to send some sort of message .
What the message would be ?
Who knows , really ?
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iran Threatens To Strike UAE In Case Of Any Israeli Aggression From Its Territory • Iran Prevented U.S. Attempt To Gather Information About Major Drills Near The Strait Of Hormuz

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On September 13th, Politico reported that Iran is allegedly planning an assassination against the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, according to an unnamed US government official and another official who had seen intelligence.
This was then repeated by US President Donald Trump.
…caused over so many years. Any attack by Iran, in any form, against the United States will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2020
This is reportedly in retaliation to the January 3rd assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone strike in Iraq’s capital Baghdad.
It turns out that Lana Marks, the ambassador to South Africa had been under a “general threat” since Spring 2020.
According to the sources, the threat had become more specific in August and September, and that the Iranian Embassy in Pretoria was allegedly involved in the plot.
Attacking Lana Marks is one of several courses of action that Tehran could allegedly undertake.
Marks has been made aware of the threat, the U.S. government official said.
The intelligence also has been included in the CIA World Intelligence Review, known as the WIRe, a classified product that is accessible to senior policy and security officials across the U.S. government, as well as certain lawmakers and their staff.
Marks, 66, was sworn in as U.S. ambassador last October. She’s known Trump for more than two decades and has been a member of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
She is famous for being a successful businesswoman, with her handbag designs selling for as much as $40,000. She was a personal friend of Princess Diana, and was born in South Africa, as a result she speaks Afrikaans and Xhosa.
Still, though, even Politico admits that Lana Marks has no known links to Iran, and it is questionable why Tehran would even target her.
It is, however, easy to tie in to previous MSM reports, such as back in 2015, when the Guardian and Al Jazeera reported on leaked intelligence documents that detailed an extensive secret network of Iranian operatives in South Africa.
It would be quite an asymmetric response, since Soleimani was a much more significant figure in Iranian internal and external policy and conduct than Lana Marks is for the US.
“Iran’s Islamist leaders have a history of carrying out assassinations beyond their country’s borders, as well as taking hostages, since seizing power following a popular uprising in the late 1970s.”
This is based on a US report which provides no evidence but ample accusations in most, if not all, cases.
Days after Soleimani was assassinated, Iran shot a salvo of ballistic missiles at a US military base in Iraq, and the list of damages and injuries kept expanding for months, after initially allegedly failing completely.
An initial target was reportedly the head of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie.
He said back in August that he expected a new “response” from Iran to America’s ongoing presence in Iraq.
“I do not know what the nature of that response will be, but we will certainly be ready for it, should it occur,” he said. On Wednesday, McKenzie confirmed plans to cut the U.S. troop presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 by the end of September.
McKenzie said Iran was “our central problem” in the region, and acknowledged that the danger from Iranian proxies in Iraq had complicated U.S. efforts against ISIS, the radical Sunni terrorist organization and movement.
“The threat against our forces from Shia militant groups has caused us to put resources that we would otherwise use against ISIS to provide for our own defense and that has lowered our ability to work effectively against them,” he said.
Iran and South Africa have cooperated on a number of fronts in recent decades, including at the U.N., where South Africa has at times advocated for Iran.
South Africa also has uranium deposits, which are allegedly of interest to Iran, as the West continues to allege that it seeks to expand its nuclear program even further to develop weapons.
South Africa and Iran have also signed some basic defense pacts, as such it simply holds water that a largely insignificant diplomat could potentially be assassinated by Iran to send some sort of message. What the message would be? Who knows, really?
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southfront--2020-09-15--Turkish Red Crescent Member Killed In Syria, US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Field Commanders In Idli

Turkish Red Crescent Member Killed In Syria, US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Field Commanders In Idlib

A member of the Turkish Red Crescent was killed and another member was injured attack against the charity organization ’ s vehicle in northern Syria on September 14th .
The Turkish Red Crescent vehicle with three personnel on board was caught in a crossfire between two vehicles without license plates , carrying people wearing masks and camouflage , in an area between northern Syrian towns of al-Rai and al-Bab .
Attacking staff of the Red Cross or Red Crescent constitutes a war crime , but militants likely care little about those rules of engagement .
After the attackers escaped , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the injured were out of danger and will be transferred to Turkey for further treatment .
The name of the employee who was killed was revealed as Mehmet Arif Kıdıman .
Turkish flags have been draped along the street where Kıdıman ’ s house is located .
His funeral is expected to take place on September 15th .
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent ’ s Düzce branch Halil Aydın condemned the attack and labeled it as “ terrorism.
” The attack took place in the area that was subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberated the area from ISIS between August 2016 and March 2017th .
Head of the Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kınık condemned the attack and reportedly traveled to the province to further inspect the incident .
“ I strongly condemn the despicable attack on the Red Crescent personnel , who should be protected by international law and who have immunity according to international humanitarian law because their vehicles bear the Red Crescent emblem , ” Kınık said .
“ I believe that with the efforts of our country , the attackers will be caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the entire Red Crescent community , ” he added .
Kınık said that the organization ’ s activities in Syria will continue .
Emphasizing the organization ’ s joint work with the Turkish Health Ministry in the region , Kınık said aid is crucial for Syria given that millions of vulnerable people .
Turkey ’ s National Defense Ministry also released a statement on the issue , vowing a response .
Separately , a US MQ-9 Reaper drone struck a Hyundai Santa Fe in the town of al-Qusur in Idlib , Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both of them are Tunisian citizens .
The first target was Sayaf at-Tunisi , a military instructor and field commander .
The second was Safina at-Tunisi , a field commander .
Both of them were part of the Hurras al-Din faction , which is essentially the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda .
This group is currently in tensions with another al-Qaeda-linked organization , Hayat Tahrir al-Sham .
Accrording to reports , the both eliminated terrorists were wanted by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham .
Thus , it turned out that an US drone did the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Sharia Committee , Abdul Rahim Atun , also known as “ Abu Abdullah ash-Shami ” gave a comment to the French newspaper Le Tempes .
The plenipotentiary to make official statements on behalf of the entire organization , Atun , said that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is seeking an international support and wants to “ clear its name.
” Atun made a special emphasis on the words of Abu Muhammad al-Juliani , voiced in an interview with Al-Jazeera in 2015 : The thesis that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed only to the territory of Syria has once again been confirmed in practice – at least in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham they are doing everything they can to create such a “ decent appearance of their activities.
” The Tunisians were put on the wanted list by Interpol and then they were discovered , they were left alone for a while to move about the area under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham control .
Then presumably a tip was given to the US-led coalition through some Turkish sources .
The Coalition reported on the elimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both in words and in deeds , were engaged in “ exporting jihad ” abroad .
Of course , in the eyes of MSM , they were true terrorists , while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members are simply the ones who focus their fight inside Syria and have no interest in anything beyond , presumably .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Syrian Army Artillery Devastates Militants ’ Positions In Idlib As Turks Suffer Fresh Casualties In Afrin • In Videos : Kurdish Rebels Launch Guided Missiles At Turkish Positions In Northwestern Syria

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A member of the Turkish Red Crescent was killed and another member was injured attack against the charity organization’s vehicle in northern Syria on September 14th.
The Turkish Red Crescent vehicle with three personnel on board was caught in a crossfire between two vehicles without license plates, carrying people wearing masks and camouflage, in an area between northern Syrian towns of al-Rai and al-Bab.
Attacking staff of the Red Cross or Red Crescent constitutes a war crime, but militants likely care little about those rules of engagement.
After the attackers escaped, the injured were immediately hospitalized. Reports said the injured were out of danger and will be transferred to Turkey for further treatment.
The name of the employee who was killed was revealed as Mehmet Arif Kıdıman.
Turkish flags have been draped along the street where Kıdıman’s house is located. His funeral is expected to take place on September 15th.
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent’s Düzce branch Halil Aydın condemned the attack and labeled it as “terrorism.”
“Before anything, this is a terrorist attack, and it targeted a charity organization that aims to deliver aid to innocent people. It has international immunity even in war conditions. That vehicle was in there only to deliver aid. This is a vicious attack that targeted people who were fighting to help,” Aydın said.
The attack took place in the area that was subject to the Turkish operation Euphrates Shield that presumably liberated the area from ISIS between August 2016 and March 2017th.
Head of the Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kınık condemned the attack and reportedly traveled to the province to further inspect the incident.
“I strongly condemn the despicable attack on the Red Crescent personnel, who should be protected by international law and who have immunity according to international humanitarian law because their vehicles bear the Red Crescent emblem,” Kınık said. “I believe that with the efforts of our country, the attackers will be caught as soon as possible. My condolences to the entire Red Crescent community,” he added.
Kınık said that the organization’s activities in Syria will continue.
“Both to protect civilians in the region and to provide aid to these people we will continue our struggle,” he said.
Emphasizing the organization’s joint work with the Turkish Health Ministry in the region, Kınık said aid is crucial for Syria given that millions of vulnerable people.
“We are obliged to engage in these activities as there is not much else support from the international community to the region,” he added.
Turkey’s National Defense Ministry also released a statement on the issue, vowing a response.
“All measures have been taken by both our land and air forces in order to find the responsible terrorists, who degraded themselves to the point of attacking an aid agency that has immunity in international law,” the ministry said.
Separately, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone struck a Hyundai Santa Fe in the town of al-Qusur in Idlib, Syria.
Two individuals were reportedly killed and both of them are Tunisian citizens.
The first target was Sayaf at-Tunisi, a military instructor and field commander. The second was Safina at-Tunisi, a field commander.
Both of them were part of the Hurras al-Din faction, which is essentially the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. This group is currently in tensions with another al-Qaeda-linked organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Accrording to reports, the both eliminated terrorists were wanted by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Thus, it turned out that an US drone did the job for the terrorist group.
Ten days ago, the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Sharia Committee, Abdul Rahim Atun, also known as “Abu Abdullah ash-Shami” gave a comment to the French newspaper Le Tempes.
The plenipotentiary to make official statements on behalf of the entire organization, Atun, said that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is seeking an international support and wants to “clear its name.”
Atun made a special emphasis on the words of Abu Muhammad al-Juliani, voiced in an interview with Al-Jazeera in 2015:
“Nusra (the old Hayat Tahrir al-Sham name) is focused only on the “Syrian revolution” and “jihad in the Levant”, which is limited to “fighting the regime” (with which they are ready to fight for another hundred years) and “occupiers” (Russia and Iran).”
The thesis that the “jihad” of the HTS is directed only to the territory of Syria has once again been confirmed in practice – at least in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham they are doing everything they can to create such a “decent appearance of their activities.”
The Tunisians were put on the wanted list by Interpol and then they were discovered, they were left alone for a while to move about the area under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham control. Then presumably a tip was given to the US-led coalition through some Turkish sources.
The Coalition reported on the elimination of the next al-Qaeda field commanders who, both in words and in deeds, were engaged in “exporting jihad” abroad.
Of course, in the eyes of MSM, they were true terrorists, while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members are simply the ones who focus their fight inside Syria and have no interest in anything beyond, presumably.
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southfront--2020-09-15--Hierarch Of ‘Independent’ Ukrainian Church Claims The Population Itself Is Filled With Enemies

On September 14th , the Hierarch of the ‘ independent ’ Orthodox Church or Ukraine Adrian Kulik pronounced that there are “ many enemies ” of the Ukrainian nation within the Ukrainian population itself .
According to him , the very idea of the OCU formation is “ an existential issue of the survival of our people ” .
“ Look : the state is the body , and the Church is the soul .
Therefore , if the body and soul are Ukrainian , then this is a normal , integral person , ” said the representative of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone else ’ s – Russian or other people , and the body is Ukrainian – this is a direct path to schizophrenia.
” This was Kulik ’ s explanation for why the OCU was slow in acquiring even more property away form the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church ( Moscow Patriarchate ) .
This was because a majority of the citizens were still followers of the canonic church .
That is because these citizens “ have been brought up for generations that Ukrainian is bad , all good , grace is from Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these imposed patterns , “ people are very difficult to convince , ” nevertheless , Kulik is hopeful that the people will grow wiser and gain wisdom , since , for example , in the presidential elections 2019 , he received a “ fool shot ” .
Kulik , furthermore , said that he believed that the Russian Orthodox Church is “ perverted , ” that the Greek one is more civilized and that the OCU should strive for “ Christianity.
” He stressed that the Ukrainians adopted Orthodoxy from the Greeks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other lands – up to Alaska.
” According to him , the Russian Orthodox Church follows a dogma according to which “ obedience is higher than fasting and prayer.
” Moreover , “ Greek Orthodoxy ” , according to the hierarch of the OCU , is “ more civilized.
” Kulik believes that “ Orthodoxy is perceived as some kind of sect or isolation from the rest of the movement , ” and therefore , he is sure , the “ Ukrainian church ” needs to “ come closer to Christianity.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christianity , we must unite around Christ .
Therefore , even if we have to associate with Catholics or other Christian denominations , we must always remain Christians first .
And Russian Orthodoxy is like this : “ You are Orthodox , and those are all heretics , renegades .
Those are perishing , but we are the only ones , we are the chosen ones , we are being saved.
” The technology of imposing occult sects – the gurus inspires their adherents that you are the chosen ones , because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by God , ” Kulik concluded .
Finally we know why the ‘ independent ’ Ukrainain church is just a paper pseudo-church organization that has no real support among the population .
It ’ s all ‘ wrong Ukrainians ’ and the ‘ destructive influence ’ of Russia .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Political And Religious Games Of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

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On September 14th, the Hierarch of the ‘independent’ Orthodox Church or Ukraine Adrian Kulik pronounced that there are “many enemies” of the Ukrainian nation within the Ukrainian population itself.
According to him, the very idea of the OCU formation is “an existential issue of the survival of our people”.
“Look: the state is the body, and the Church is the soul. Therefore, if the body and soul are Ukrainian, then this is a normal, integral person,” said the representative of the OCU. “If the soul is someone else’s – Russian or other people, and the body is Ukrainian – this is a direct path to schizophrenia.”
This was Kulik’s explanation for why the OCU was slow in acquiring even more property away form the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). This was because a majority of the citizens were still followers of the canonic church.
That is because these citizens “have been brought up for generations that Ukrainian is bad, all good, grace is from Moscow or somewhere else” … Because of these imposed patterns, “people are very difficult to convince,” nevertheless, Kulik is hopeful that the people will grow wiser and gain wisdom, since, for example, in the presidential elections 2019, he received a “fool shot”.
“They (UOC) want to revive the empire, and the Church, accordingly, also serves to restore this empire. This is a religious front; the struggle is going on in all directions. <…> Unfortunately, we have a lot of outright enemies of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian nation among our population,” the OCU “bishop” stressed.
Kulik, furthermore, said that he believed that the Russian Orthodox Church is “perverted,” that the Greek one is more civilized and that the OCU should strive for “Christianity.”
He stressed that the Ukrainians adopted Orthodoxy from the Greeks and “extended it to Moscow and to other lands – up to Alaska.”
“When it (Orthodoxy) began to return from Moscow back to us, it already came in a different form,” said Kulik. “This is such a perverted Orthodoxy, perverted Christianity.”
According to him, the Russian Orthodox Church follows a dogma according to which “obedience is higher than fasting and prayer.”
“By and large, this is not Christianity. If obedience to some not quite clean or intelligent person, for you it becomes like a punishment.”
Moreover, “Greek Orthodoxy”, according to the hierarch of the OCU, is “more civilized.”
Kulik believes that “Orthodoxy is perceived as some kind of sect or isolation from the rest of the movement,” and therefore, he is sure, the “Ukrainian church” needs to “come closer to Christianity.”
“Still, according to the plan of Christianity, we must unite around Christ. Therefore, even if we have to associate with Catholics or other Christian denominations, we must always remain Christians first. And Russian Orthodoxy is like this: “You are Orthodox, and those are all heretics, renegades. Those are perishing, but we are the only ones, we are the chosen ones, we are being saved.” The technology of imposing occult sects – the gurus inspires their adherents that you are the chosen ones, because you are with me, you are chosen by God,” Kulik concluded.
Finally we know why the ‘independent’ Ukrainain church is just a paper pseudo-church organization that has no real support among the population. It’s all ‘wrong Ukrainians’ and the ‘destructive influence’ of Russia.
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southfront--2020-09-15--Assange’s Fifth Day at the Old Bailey: Supermax Prisons and Special Administrative Measures

Having had a coronavirus scare towards the end of last week , necessitating a brief suspension of proceedings for September 11 , the extradition proceedings for Julian Assange resumed with Eric Lewis .
The chairman of the board of Reprieve , who has cut his teeth on representing Afghan detainees in US custody and those in Guantánamo , has not been shy in arguing against the extradition of Assange to the United States .
In 2019 , he warned in that one did not have to swoon over Assange ’ s politics or his embrace his personality “ to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , not only does he face a de facto life sentence , but every journalist who receives and publishes classified information faces such jeopardy as well.
” Emphasis during the day ’ s proceedings was placed on the potential consequences of Assange ’ s pre-trial detention and incarceration .
Think of the ADX Florence , Colorado , with such non-commodious confines that would fall within the definition of solitary confinement .
James Lewis QC for the prosecution had been consulting his authorities , suggesting that the European Court of Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US side .
In , a 2012 case involving six defendants accused of terrorism , the ECHR was not unfavourable to aspects of the US justice system .
The applicants , including four British nationals , an Egyptian and a Saudi Arabian , argued that they were at real risk of ill-treatment in the US from the conditions of supermax prisons including “ special administrative measures ” ( SAMs ) or the possible length of sentencing in the US .
The ECHR concluded “ that there would be no violation of the applicants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States.
” The court accepted the argument made by the UK that the risk of real torture constituted an absolute bar to extradition but that other forms of ill-treatment did not .
“ [ T ] he absolute nature of Article 3 [ of the European Convention on Human Rights ] does not mean that any form of ill-treatment will act as a bar to removal from a Contracting State.
” A deciding factor would be whether the risk was “ real ” or “ whether it was alleviated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requesting State.
” The judgment itself suffers from a judicial preoccupation with procedural soundness rather than prison reality , not to mention an unhealthy degree of trust .
The court was ready to accept the submissions made by the US that the inmates would not unduly suffer mistreatment , given various safeguards .
“ The Federal Bureau of Prisons applies accessible and rational criteria when deciding whether to transfer an inmate to ADX [ supermax prison ] .
” The placement process “ is accompanied by a high degree of involvement of senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the inmate ’ s current institution .
Their involvement and requirement that a hearing be held before transfer provide an appropriate measure of procedural protection.
” The words of were music to the prosecutor ’ s ears , and the case was duly thrown back at the board chairman of Reprieve .
It suggested another angle in the prosecution strategy : Assange ’ s frail mental health should not prevent him from being extradited to the US .
Eric Lewis suggested that the ECHR case should be distinguished from Assange ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the sinister nature of such supermax facilities had come to light since 2012 .
He also suggested that mental health was not a crucial factor being debated in the Babar case .
Unfortunately , this ignored the fact that three defendants relied on their mental health as relevant in the challenge .
Such health , noted the ECHR , had not prevented them being confined to “ high-security prisons in the United Kingdom.
” The submission from Dr Paul Zohn , a psychologist assigned to assess ADX Florence , gave it a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care was provided by one psychiatrist and two psychologists who made regular rounds through the housing units at ADX.
” The inmates were not short of treatment programs .
“ On the basis of Dr Zohn ’ s application , it would not appear that the psychiatric services which are available at ADX would be unable to treat such [ mental health ] conditions.
” There would be no violation of Article 3 should the inmates find themselves detained at ADX .
Despite the judicial heads reaching that conclusion , history is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequently described his experience .
“ During the supermax prison time in America , for two years I lived through complete hell .
Those two years were the darkest days of my life… I saw one suicide attempt a week , three suicide attempts in one day.
” The ECHR had also ignored US efforts in preventing the United Nations from evaluating the conditions present in such carceral facilities .
As the UN special rapporteur on torture , Juan Méndez , told the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016 , “ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America has been pending for five years over the terms of reference in order to obtain access to all places of detention.
” The application of SAMs has also been deemed , as the Center for Constitutional Rights and Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School did in their 2017 report , “ the darkest corner of the US federal prison system , combining the brutality and isolation of maximum security units with additional restrictions that deny individuals almost any connection to the human world.
” Restrictions involve “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , and their attorneys , effectively shielding this extreme use of government power from public view.
” Given that the US Attorney General has sole discretion to use SAMs , the procedural protections accepted as adequate in would have to be reconsidered .
No adequate reason is needed for their imposition , even in a pre-trial setting ; the Attorney General ’ s citing of the relevant charges is considered sufficient and besides , national security considerations are always elastic .
In the words of the CCR report , “ They can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are placed under SAMs .
Even then , like all federal prisoners , they risk having their cases dismissed for failure to exhaust the effectively meaningless Administrative Remedy Program.
” In this punitive nightmare , prisoners can be subject to such administrative measures indefinitely .
Assange might also face the prospect of continued obstruction to legal counsel , hobbling his means of mounting challenges .
Most troublingly , the use of SAMS can become a punitive bargaining tool , coercing the accused into pleading guilty and cooperating with the authorities .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to quibble and disagree about the degrees of justifiable cruelty and mental harm that might be visited upon Assange .
To assist his cause , he doubted the expert witness ’ qualifications on assessing whether Assange would receive appropriate medical care in the US prison system .
“ The bullying prosecutor , ” observed journalist John Pilger , “ is reduced to insulting the integrity of expert witnesses.
” The witness was also challenged for his lack of impartiality , which had the genuine tone of a pot-calling-the-kettle-black moment .
Eric Lewis stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a psychiatrist or a warden , he was “ an expert in the US prison system.
” Nor was bias a problem : his views since 2019 on extraditing Assange had not changed .
The testimony sought to drag the matter back to Assange as a special case .
While it did not fall within the category of terrorism , the authorisation of SAMs by Attorney General William Barr would engage the offices of the CIA , whose current director , Gina Haspel , did a nice line in operating black sites sanctioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gosztola reports , “ Haspel is complicit in some of the very examples of US torture that WikiLeaks exposed , and yet she would be able to play a role in determining how he was controlled and silenced while awaiting trial.
” Whether detained at the Alexandria Detention Center awaiting trial , where he would face solitary confinement , or convicted and sent to H Block at ADX Florence , Assange might well find himself on “ the only known black site on American soil ” .
As with other witnesses , Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments by Trump administration officials ( former CIA director Mike Pompeo ; former Attorney General Jeff Sessions ) that indicated a definite , and aggressive shift towards prosecuting Assange from that of the Obama administration .
The stuttered nature of the indictment process suggested a certain malice of prolongation : charges fitted to gain the lengthiest sentences .
Towards the end of the day ’ s proceedings , journalists found themselves cut off from the videolink to the court , only to then be informed of its abrupt close .
Stefania Maurizi wondered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges facing UK courts or hacking .
Either way , it was symbolically apt for a trial that is turning , with each day , into a distorted parody of justice .
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Assange ’ s Fourth Day at the Old Bailey : COVID in the Courtroom • Assange ’ s Third Day at the Old Bailey : Bias , Politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second Day at the Old Bailey : Torture , Drone Strikes and Journalism

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
Having had a coronavirus scare towards the end of last week, necessitating a brief suspension of proceedings for September 11, the extradition proceedings for Julian Assange resumed with Eric Lewis. The chairman of the board of Reprieve, who has cut his teeth on representing Afghan detainees in US custody and those in Guantánamo, has not been shy in arguing against the extradition of Assange to the United States. In 2019, he warned in The Independent that one did not have to swoon over Assange’s politics or his embrace his personality “to understand that if he is extradited to the United States, not only does he face a de facto life sentence, but every journalist who receives and publishes classified information faces such jeopardy as well.”
Emphasis during the day’s proceedings was placed on the potential consequences of Assange’s pre-trial detention and incarceration. Think of the ADX Florence, Colorado, with such non-commodious confines that would fall within the definition of solitary confinement.
James Lewis QC for the prosecution had been consulting his authorities, suggesting that the European Court of Human Rights had an instructive answer favourable to the US side. In Babar Ahmad & Others v United Kingdom, a 2012 case involving six defendants accused of terrorism, the ECHR was not unfavourable to aspects of the US justice system. The applicants, including four British nationals, an Egyptian and a Saudi Arabian, argued that they were at real risk of ill-treatment in the US from the conditions of supermax prisons including “special administrative measures” (SAMs) or the possible length of sentencing in the US.
The ECHR concluded “that there would be no violation of the applicants’ rights if extradited to stand trial in the United States.” The court accepted the argument made by the UK that the risk of real torture constituted an absolute bar to extradition but that other forms of ill-treatment did not. “[T]he absolute nature of Article 3 [of the European Convention on Human Rights] does not mean that any form of ill-treatment will act as a bar to removal from a Contracting State.” A deciding factor would be whether the risk was “real” or “whether it was alleviated by diplomatic and prosecutorial assurances given by the requesting State.”
The judgment itself suffers from a judicial preoccupation with procedural soundness rather than prison reality, not to mention an unhealthy degree of trust. The court was ready to accept the submissions made by the US that the inmates would not unduly suffer mistreatment, given various safeguards. “The Federal Bureau of Prisons applies accessible and rational criteria when deciding whether to transfer an inmate to ADX [supermax prison].” The placement process “is accompanied by a high degree of involvement of senior official within the Bureau who are external to the inmate’s current institution. Their involvement and requirement that a hearing be held before transfer provide an appropriate measure of procedural protection.”
The words of Babar Ahmad were music to the prosecutor’s ears, and the case was duly thrown back at the board chairman of Reprieve. It suggested another angle in the prosecution strategy: Assange’s frail mental health should not prevent him from being extradited to the US. Eric Lewis suggested that the ECHR case should be distinguished from Assange’s. For one thing, more material on the sinister nature of such supermax facilities had come to light since 2012. He also suggested that mental health was not a crucial factor being debated in the Babar case.
Unfortunately, this ignored the fact that three defendants relied on their mental health as relevant in the challenge. Such health, noted the ECHR, had not prevented them being confined to “high-security prisons in the United Kingdom.” The submission from Dr Paul Zohn, a psychologist assigned to assess ADX Florence, gave it a few good licks of decency. “Care was provided by one psychiatrist and two psychologists who made regular rounds through the housing units at ADX.” The inmates were not short of treatment programs. “On the basis of Dr Zohn’s application, it would not appear that the psychiatric services which are available at ADX would be unable to treat such [mental health] conditions.” There would be no violation of Article 3 should the inmates find themselves detained at ADX.
Despite the judicial heads reaching that conclusion, history is an instructive and refuting guide. Babar Ahmad subsequently described his experience. “During the supermax prison time in America, for two years I lived through complete hell. Those two years were the darkest days of my life… I saw one suicide attempt a week, three suicide attempts in one day.” The ECHR had also ignored US efforts in preventing the United Nations from evaluating the conditions present in such carceral facilities. As the UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Méndez, told the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016, “My request to visit the United States of America has been pending for five years over the terms of reference in order to obtain access to all places of detention.”
The application of SAMs has also been deemed, as the Center for Constitutional Rights and Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School did in their 2017 report, “the darkest corner of the US federal prison system, combining the brutality and isolation of maximum security units with additional restrictions that deny individuals almost any connection to the human world.” Restrictions involve “gag orders on prisoners, their family members, and their attorneys, effectively shielding this extreme use of government power from public view.”
Given that the US Attorney General has sole discretion to use SAMs, the procedural protections accepted as adequate in Babar Ahmad would have to be reconsidered. No adequate reason is needed for their imposition, even in a pre-trial setting; the Attorney General’s citing of the relevant charges is considered sufficient and besides, national security considerations are always elastic. In the words of the CCR report, “They cannot challenge the SAMS designation until after they are placed under SAMs. Even then, like all federal prisoners, they risk having their cases dismissed for failure to exhaust the effectively meaningless Administrative Remedy Program.”
In this punitive nightmare, prisoners can be subject to such administrative measures indefinitely. Assange might also face the prospect of continued obstruction to legal counsel, hobbling his means of mounting challenges. Most troublingly, the use of SAMS can become a punitive bargaining tool, coercing the accused into pleading guilty and cooperating with the authorities.
For prosecutor Lewis, the Babar Ahmad case enabled him to quibble and disagree about the degrees of justifiable cruelty and mental harm that might be visited upon Assange. To assist his cause, he doubted the expert witness’ qualifications on assessing whether Assange would receive appropriate medical care in the US prison system. “The bullying prosecutor,” observed journalist John Pilger, “is reduced to insulting the integrity of expert witnesses.” The witness was also challenged for his lack of impartiality, which had the genuine tone of a pot-calling-the-kettle-black moment.
Eric Lewis stood firm. While admitting to not being a psychiatrist or a warden, he was “an expert in the US prison system.” Nor was bias a problem: his views since 2019 on extraditing Assange had not changed.
The testimony sought to drag the matter back to Assange as a special case. While it did not fall within the category of terrorism, the authorisation of SAMs by Attorney General William Barr would engage the offices of the CIA, whose current director, Gina Haspel, did a nice line in operating black sites sanctioning the use of torture. As Kevin Gosztola reports, “Haspel is complicit in some of the very examples of US torture that WikiLeaks exposed, and yet she would be able to play a role in determining how he was controlled and silenced while awaiting trial.” Whether detained at the Alexandria Detention Center awaiting trial, where he would face solitary confinement, or convicted and sent to H Block at ADX Florence, Assange might well find himself on “the only known black site on American soil”.
As with other witnesses, Eric Lewis also reminded the court of various comments by Trump administration officials (former CIA director Mike Pompeo; former Attorney General Jeff Sessions) that indicated a definite, and aggressive shift towards prosecuting Assange from that of the Obama administration. The stuttered nature of the indictment process suggested a certain malice of prolongation: charges fitted to gain the lengthiest sentences.
Towards the end of the day’s proceedings, journalists found themselves cut off from the videolink to the court, only to then be informed of its abrupt close. Stefania Maurizi wondered whether this might be due to technical challenges facing UK courts or hacking. Either way, it was symbolically apt for a trial that is turning, with each day, into a distorted parody of justice.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
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