Tuesday, May 14, 2019

John Bolton Wants Regime Change in Iran. What’s His Alternaative?



THE NEW YORK TIMES: White House Reviews Military Plans Against Iran, in Echoes of Iraq War » | Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes | Monday, May 13, 2019

Will John Bolton’s Dream to Bomb Iran Come True? Ex-Iranian Ambassador Warns About US Escalation


The Pentagon has reportedly drawn up a plan to send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East if President Trump decides to take military action against Iran. The New York Times reports the Pentagon presented the proposal on Thursday after National Security Advisor John Bolton requested a revision to an earlier plan. Bolton has long advocated for attacking Iran. According to the Pentagon, far more than 120,000 troops would be needed if a ground invasion was ordered. This comes as tension continues to escalate between the United States and Iran. The United States recently deployed the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the region claiming there was a “credible threat by Iranian regime forces.” Iran has announced it will stop complying with parts of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and resume high-level enrichment of uranium in 60 days if other signatories of the deal do not take action to shield Iran’s oil and banking sectors from U.S. sanctions. The U.S. has attempted to cut Iran off from the global economy, even though Iran has remained in compliance with the nuclear deal. We speak with Ambassador Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He served as spokesperson for Iran in its nuclear negotiations with the European Union from 2003 to 2005.

Monday, May 13, 2019

Trump Praises Controversial Hungarian Leader Shunned by Bush and Obama


Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán returned to the White House for the first time in more than a decade to meet President Trump, despite former Presidents Obama and Bush cutting ties with the leader for his controversial stances on immigration. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.

Doris Day – 'Move Over Darling'


Not Too Often Heard In Stereo, Doris's 1964 Hit 'Move Over Darling'

The Unforgettable Doris Day Singing ‘Que Séra Séra’


Hollywood Legend Doris Day Dies Aged 97


Doris Day - one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the 1950s and 60s - has died aged 97. Day was known for her dozens of film appearances, including in the musical Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. She also famously sang Que Sera, Sera in Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much. From the United States, here's our Correspondent Amanda Walker.

Is Iran Conducting Secret Sabotage Attacks? | DW News


Saudi Arabia is claiming that an alleged "sabotage attack" took place against its tankers in the Gulf. The Kingdom's foreign ministry has called the reported incident a dangerous threat to navigation and international security. The United Arab Emirates also says that four commercial vessels were hit by "sabotage attacks" near the port city of Fujairah in the Strait of Hormuz, off its eastern coast. Two of Saudi's oil tankers were among the targets. The alleged incidents come amid rising tensions between Iran and the US. Iran has called for a probe to find out who's responsible. Meanwhile, EU Ministers are meeting in Brussels today to try to salvage the Iran nuclear deal. After the US enacted new sanctions against Iran last week, Tehran threatened to pull out of the deal unless its European partners make concessions.

‘Trump Administration Wants War with Iran’ – Colonel


Two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian vessel were damaged in an attack off of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf this weekend. Details of the incident are unclear but the US and Saudi officials are describing this incident as sabotage. Iran’s government is calling for further clarification. Retired US Army Colonel Ann Wright sits down with RT America’s Manila Chan to discuss.

The Dark Side of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince l Al Jazeera English (2018)


Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been on a quick rise to power and has been touted as a progressive reformer. But his human rights record casts a dark shadow on his economic and social reforms.

Here are 8 things that have gone wrong since MBS started his ascent to power:

1. War in Yemen

2. Detention of Lebanon’s PM

3. Ritz-Carlton purge

4. GCC crisis and blockade of Qatar

5. Jailed women’s rights activists

6. Diplomatic spat with Canada

7. Rise of executions in the kingdom

8. Disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi

The number of executions in the kingdom has rapidly increased lately. According to human rights organisations, MBS has overseen the execution, of 16 people on average per month, every month. If this rate continues, 2018 could see 200 executions. That is the highest number ever recorded in Saudi Arabia in one year.

In October 2018, Saudi journalist and MBS critic Jamal Khashoggi enters a Saudi consulate in Istanbul and never comes out. Pressure mounted on Saudi Arabia to reveal what happened to Khashoggi: world leaders demanded a thorough and transparent investigation.


Iyad el-Baghdadi Faces Threat from Saudi Arabia | Al Jazeera English


A Palestinian activist who was warned by the Norwegian government of a possible threat against him from Saudi Arabia is holding a press conference for the first time.

Iyad el-Baghdadi was told that the threat had been passed on to Norwegian authorities by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. He was informed there could be several reasons why Saudi Arabia would target him.

Iyad was granted asylum in Norway four years ago and is a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.


Ireland Bars Christian Fundamentalist Pastor from Entering Country


THE GUARDIAN: Immigration law used for first time to deny entry to anti-gay preacher Steven Anderson

An anti-gay US Christian fundamentalist pastor who has been accused of Holocaust denial has become the first person to be barred from entering Ireland under a 20-year-old immigration law.

Steven Anderson was due to travel to Dublin on 26 May to preach in the city, but the Irish justice minister, Charlie Flanagan, took the unusual step to ban him from coming into the country.

More than 14,000 people signed an online petition set up by the Christian gay rights campaign group Changing Attitude Ireland calling on the Irish government to block Anderson’s trip to the country. The organisation claimed that in the past he had “advocated exterminating LGBT+ people”.

Confirming the barring order under the 1999 Immigration Act, Flanagan said: “I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interest of public policy.”

It is the first time the Irish government has used the legislation to bar anyone from the country. » | Henry McDonald | Monday, May 13, 2019

Who Can Secure Shipping Lines in the Gulf? | Inside Story


'Sabotaged and significantly damaged'. Saudi Arabia says two of its oil tankers have been attacked off the coast of the UAE. Riyadh has also called on the international community to protect maritime navigation.

The incidents happened off the coast of Fujairah. The Emirate denied reports of explosions at its port on Sunday. But the Emirati government later said four commercial ships flagged under several nationalities had been hit - although there were no injuries or deaths. The attack was condemned by several countries, including Iran.

What does it mean for global oil supplies?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan | Guests: Mahjoob Zweiri, Director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University; Manouchehr Takin, Senior Analyst at the Centre for Global Energy Studies; Elias Farhat, retired military general and defence analyst


Doris Day, Celebrated Actor and Singer, Dies at 97


THE GUARDIAN: The star of a string of successful film musicals was also known for her work as an animal welfare activist

Doris Day, the actor, singer and animal welfare activist, has died at the age of 97. The Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed the news.

Born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff in Cincinnati, Ohio, Day was known for a string of successful musicals and romantic comedies, including Pillow Talk, as well as a singing career that encompassed 29 studio albums.

Descended from German immigrants to the US, Day first gained fame with a recording of Sentimental Journey on 1945 as a vocalist for Les Brown and His Band of Renown; the song became a popular second world war anthem, and by 1946 she was the highest paid female singer in the world. » | Benjamin Lee | Monday, May 13, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Doris Day: the wholesome face of postwar American optimism » | Peter Bradshaw | Monday, May 13, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Doris Day obituary » | Ronald Bergan | Monday, May 13, 2019

The Guardian View on Abortion: Protecting a Human Right


THE GUARDIAN: Cruel laws risk lives and harm women around the world. Attempts to extend them must be resisted

No law can end abortions, however severe its restrictions and however harsh its penalties. Each day almost 70,000 unsafe abortions are carried out around the world, and they are vastly more likely to happen in countries with strict laws. What such legislation does do is force some women to continue pregnancies against their wishes, while risking the lives and wellbeing of others. Women in the US have seen their ability to terminate pregnancies dismantled piece by piece. Now states are racing to outlaw or dramatically curb abortions with extreme and unconstitutional bills. The aim is to directly challenge Roe v Wade, the US supreme court ruling that established that abortion is legal before the foetus is viable outside the womb, at around 24 weeks. Last Tuesday, the governor of Georgia signed a bill essentially banning abortions after six weeks from 2020. Some described it as a sign that men who wish to control women’s bodies have no idea of how they actually work. More likely, those who pushed hardest for the change understand all too well that many women will not know they are pregnant until it is too late. » | Editorial | Sunday, May 12, 2019

Trump’s Lifetime Of Lies Comes Crashing Down


The past few years haven’t been kind to Donald Trump, and he completely deserves it. The man has spent his entire life creating an image that has been revealed to be a complete con job. His businesses are failures, his net worth is overblown, and his presidency has been an utter failure by every stretch of the imagination. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains how things went so bad for Donald.

Sweden Reopens Rape Case against Julian Assange


THE GUARDIAN: Lawyer for woman involved in allegations from 2010 asked for investigation to resume

Swedish prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against Julian Assange.

The deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, announced the decision at a press conference on Monday, saying: “I have today taken the decision to reopen the preliminary investigation.”

She said the circumstances now allowed for an extradition to Sweden from Britain, and a new interview with Assange should be held.

She said: “After reviewing the preliminary investigation carried out so far, I find that there still exist grounds for Julian Assange to be suspected on probable cause of the charge of rape. It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required.” » | Caroline Davies | Monday, May 13, 2019

Saudi Oil Tankers Show 'Significant Damage' after Sabotage Attack, Says Riyadh


THE GUARDIAN: One vessel was bound for the US and comes after warnings that Iran or its proxies could target shipping in region

Two Saudi oil tankers have suffered “significant damage” in an apparent sabotage attack off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi energy minister has said.

The reported incident – which could threaten the security of global oil supplies – came after the US warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, prompting the US to send an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf.

One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil bound for customers in the US, state news agency SPA reported. The attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels, said Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih on Monday. » | Staff and agencies | Monday, May 13, 2019

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Conversion by Aversion? Featuring Arnoud van Doorn, Former Member of the Dutch Freedom Party


As far-right parties obsess about the danger Islam presents to the western lifestyle, some Islamic scholars are increasingly concerned about the danger the western lifestyle presents to Islam. Arnoud van Doorn argues that if moderate Muslims don’t step up their game, within the next 20 to 40 years, Islam may be gone from Europe. Are those fears really justified? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Arnoud van Doorn, a former member of the Dutch Freedom Party who converted to Islam and a representative of the Party of Unity in The Hague City Council.

President Trump Tells Reporter That Asking Government To Investigate Biden Is Ok | The Last Word | MSNBC


As the congressional investigations into the Trump campaign ramp up, President Trump is now targeting Joe Biden and his family. Neera Tanden and Tim O'Brien discuss with Joy Reid Trump's latest claim that he might ask Attorney General William Barr to investigate Biden.

Sam Harris Responds to His Most Common Critique