Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — June 20, 2019

'Joints Will Be Separated': Grim New Details of Khashoggi Murder

Last week the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman ordered the case on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi closed. But a new UN report has unearthed gruesome details based on an audio recording. Al Jazeera's Jamal ElShayyal looks at the sequence of events leading up to his death.

UN Urges Investigation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS)

A scathing report by the United Nations on the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi cites “credible evidence” as grounds for further investigation into the role that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had in the murder. RT America’s Sayeh Tavangar has more on the report.

Complicit US Lets Saudi Government ‘Keep on Chopping’ – Galloway

An independent UN investigation has found what they call credible evidence suggesting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman should be investigated for his role in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Former UK MP George Galloway shares his insights.

Saudi Slams UN Report on Khashoggi Killing as 'Unfounded'

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir says the UN report by Agnes Callamard "contains clear contradictions and unfounded allegations, casting doubt on its credibility”. Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara strongly endorses UN report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Al Jazeera's correspondents Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Istanbul, James Bays from United Nations, and Mike Hanna from Washington, DC.

Will Donald Trump Win a Second Term? | Inside Story

The US President launches his bid for re-election in 2020. Few, including Donald Trump, expected him to win the US presidential election in 2016. Now he's well into his first term, and campaigning hard for a second in 2020.

He launched his re-election bid in Florida, a swing state that he must win. Trump didn't offer new policies during the rally, and again attacked what he called the 'fake news media' and the political establishment for undermining him and his supporters.

Opinion polls suggest Trump could lose to most of the possible Democratic challengers such as Joe Biden. So will he win a second term?

Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Joel Rubin - Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; Lauren Zelt - Founder & Chief Executive, Zelt Communications & conservative strategist; Rashawn Ray - Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Donald Trump’s Reckless Iran Policy Casts Doubt on the US as Global Leader

THE GUARDIAN: Washington’s European allies need to ask themselves whether the US government has become a dangerous liability

Irrespective of whether Iran is responsible for the recent attacks on Gulf shipping, the crisis now unfolding is fundamentally one manufactured out of thin air by the Trump administration. The implications go beyond the threat of a major war and consequent worldwide economic crash. Donald Trump’s reckless, incoherent Iran policy also throws into question the viability of the role of the United States as the global leader.

The US achieved its hegemonic status in the world system not simply through raw strength, but also by convincing the second-tier capitalist powers that it could manage that system in their interests as well as its own. Washington could be relied on to confront and put down challenges to the capitalist order, expand and deepen its reach, and handle crises as they arose. It was through responsible management of the system in the interests of western capital and state power more broadly (if not of humanity as a whole) that the US secured consent from its allies to lead this new form of empire. » | David Wearing | Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Iranian Ambassador – Tanker Attacks Are a Plan to Provoke US - Iran War!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Iran’s Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad on the recent escalation of tensions between the US and Iran, the Gulf of Oman tanker accident and Western accusations that Iran is to blame, how Iran can defend itself against the US and other Western powers, the status of the Iran Deal as Iran increases uranium enrichment after the US and other Western powers have violated the nuclear deal, tension with Saudi Arabia across the region, the ability for Iran to defend itself against Israel and if a US-Iran war is looming!

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — June 19, 2019

SNP's Ian Blackford Calls Boris Johnson 'Racist'

Boris Johnson has been labelled 'racist' in the House of Commons by the Scottish National party's Westminster leader, who said the Conservative leadership frontrunner was 'unfit' to be prime minister. Ian Blackford asked Theresa May if she agreed with Johnson that the Scottish people were a verminous race who should be 'exterminated', referring to a poem published in the Spectator when Johnson was the magazine’s editor

UN: Saudi Arabia Must Accept Responsibility for Khashoggi Murder

UN extrajudicial executions investigator Agnes Callamard on Wednesday released her report into the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, she said the dismemberment of Khashoggi was discussed before his killing on October 2, and added that it was important to insist the execution was a killing by the Saudi Arabian state. Callamard also said Riyadh should take steps to ensure such abuse of diplomatic privileges to commit an international crime was not repeated.

Khashoggi Killing: 'Credible Evidence' Linking MBS to Murder – UN

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be investigated over killing of journalist Khashoggi, UN expert concludes. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, should be investigated over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a United Nations rights expert has concluded, citing "credible evidence". UN extrajudicial executions investigator, Agnes Callamard, released her report on the killing of Khashoggi on Wednesday. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports live from the UN.


THE GUARDIAN: 'Credible evidence' Saudi crown prince liable for Khashoggi killing – UN report » | Nick Hopkins and Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Wednesday, June 19, 2019

It’s Time for Christians to Speak Out against Boris Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: The amoral man most likely to be Britain’s future prime minister has no sense of humility or public duty. Churches should say so

It’s a long time since vicars like me presided over a Church of England that could be described as the Conservative party at prayer. I don’t know if that’s such a bad thing for the church, which surely ought to be apolitical. But it might be deemed to have been a bad thing for Conservatives, who by most accounts appear to have idolatrously wandered so far from gospel truth that they’re about to elect a golden calf as their next leader and, by default, their prime minister.

The charge sheet against Boris Johnson is well rehearsed. He is a serial liar, philanderer and shirker. He was fired from the Times for making up quotes as a reporter, and as an opposition spokesman for lying to his leader about an affair; a spendthrift mayor of London, who relied on his deputies while he played to the gallery with vanity projects; incompetent beyond belief as foreign secretary; said to have deliberately misled the people on the post-Brexit economy; and a provocateur of racism and hate crime through his casual insults of our ethnic minorities. That’s before we get to the vacuous promises of what he’d do next with the British economy. » | George Pitcher* | Tuesday, June 18, 2019

* The Rev George Pitcher is a vicar in the Church of England and a visiting fellow at the LSE; he was secretary for public affairs to the archbishop of Canterbury, 2010-11

Pompeo Interferes in UK PM Election

US State Sec. Pompeo has pledged to “push back” against UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the event that he becomes the UK’s next Prime Minister. RT’s Charlotte Dubinsky reports. Then Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute joins Rick Sanchez to weigh in.

Saudi Crown Prince Tells Iran: 'We Won't Hesitate to Deal with Any Threat'

THE GUARDIAN: Mohammed bin Salman speaks publicly for first time about latest tanker attacks amid fears of regional conflict

Mohammed bin Salman has spoken publicly for the first time since a second attack on Saudi oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, blaming arch-rival Iran and vowing that Saudi Arabia “won’t hesitate to deal with any threat” to the kingdom’s interests.

According to an interview for pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, published on Sunday, the crown prince said: “We do not want a war in the region ... But we won’t hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and our vital interests.

“The Iranian regime did not respect the presence of the Japanese prime minister as a guest in Tehran and responded to his [diplomatic] efforts by attacking two tankers, one of which was Japanese.” » | Patrick Wintour and agencies | Sunday, June 16, 2019

Attaques de pétroliers en mer d’Oman : une dangereuse escalade

LE MONDE: Editorial. Le sabotage de tankers, jeudi 13 juin, accroît la tension autour du golfe Persique. La diplomatie doit continuer à œuvrer pour que les Etats-Unis et l’Iran évitent une rupture dramatique.

Editorial du « Monde ». L’attaque de deux pétroliers en mer d’Oman, jeudi 13 juin, un mois après le sabotage de quatre navires dans les mêmes eaux, représente une escalade dangereuse. Elle accroît la tension autour du golfe Persique, par où transite un cinquième de la production mondiale de pétrole. Elle annonce un déploiement militaire accru des Etats-Unis dans la région, sur fond de bras de fer entre l’Iran d’un côté et Washington et ses alliés régionaux, l’Arabie saoudite, les Emirats arabes unis et Israël, de l’autre. » | Éditorial | samedi 15 juin 2019

LE MONDE: « MBS » accuse l’Iran d’être responsable de l’attaque de pétroliers en mer d’Oman » |dimanche 16 juin 2019

Robert Reich: Who Will Be the Next President?

Robert Reich offers looks at the 2020 candidates for the Democratic nomination for president.

Boris Johnson à la tête du Royaume-Uni ? Non merci !

LE MONDE: Editorial. Pour l’Union européenne, l’accession de M. Johnson au poste de premier ministre équivaudrait à l’installation à Londres d’un Trump au petit pied se consacrant à la saboter.

Editorial du « Monde ». En juin 2016, au lendemain de la victoire de la campagne en faveur du Brexit qu’il avait conduite, Boris Johnson avait disparu, passant le week-end à jouer au cricket. Dépassé par un succès non anticipé, lâché par son compère Michael Gove, il avait renoncé à briguer Downing Street et à gérer la sortie de l’Union européenne (UE) pour laquelle il avait pourtant ardemment milité. Trois ans après, alors que le divorce avec l’UE tourne au cauchemar pour le Royaume-Uni, revoilà Boris Johnson en pole position pour succéder à Theresa May, dont il n’a cessé de savonner la planche.

Une partie de la biographie de Boris Johnson ressemble à celle d’un leader nationaliste ordinaire, comme l’Europe mais aussi les Etats-Unis en produisent désormais en quantité. Correspondant du Telegraph à Bruxelles dans les années 1990, souvent à coup de bobards sur de prétendues décisions de l’UE, il a largement contribué à la transformation de l’europhobie en cause populaire au Royaume-Uni et en arme redoutable pour le Parti conservateur, jusque-là proeuropéen. Qu’il prenne enfin aujourd’hui la responsabilité du Brexit pourrait découler d’une certaine logique. » | Éditorial | mercredi 12 juin 2019

The Guardian View on the Tories and No Deal: Choosing Rogue Government

THE GUARDIAN: With Boris Johnson as the frontrunner, Tory MPs are abandoning seriousness and responsibility as qualifications to be prime minister

All 10 candidates running in the race to be Conservative leader have sat around the cabinet table. Six are serving ministers. Naturally, none voted in parliament on Wednesday for an opposition motion designed to obstruct the path to a no-deal Brexit.

Even in the disturbed climate of British politics it would be bizarre if applicants to the job of party leader defied that party’s whip mid-contest. (Although Rory Stewart, the boldest and most pro-European of the contenders, briefly hinted that he might.) The motion was defeated by 11 votes, meaning that a chaotic Brexit remains the default setting on 31 October, if the next prime minister is unable to achieve what Theresa May failed to do – persuade a majority of MPs to endorse the negotiated EU withdrawal agreement. » | Editorial | Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Iran Calls Tanker Explosions 'Suspicious' as Global Concern Grows

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described reported attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz as "suspicious" as they coincided with a meeting between Japan's prime minister and Iran's supreme leader. The incidents on Thursday near the strategic sea lane - through which one-third of all oil traded by sea passes - left one vessel ablaze and the other adrift, forcing scores of the crew to abandon the ships. Al Jazeera's correspondents report from from the White House, Tehran, and the United Nations.