(2018-06-24). In About-Face, Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr Moves Closer to Iran. truthdig.com The maverick Shiite cleric, the main winner in Iraq's parliamentary elections, ran on a platform of putting Iraqis first. Instead, he has forged a post-election coalition with a rival Shiite bloc.
(2018-06-23). The Diseased, Lying, Condition of America's 'News' Media. globalresearch.ca Both President Trump and former President Obama are commonly said in America's 'news' media to be or to have been "ceding Syria to Russia" or "ceding Syria to Russia and Iran," or similar allegations. They imply that 'we' own (or …
(2018-06-23). Yemen War: Iranian Navy Dispatches Warships to Gulf of Aden. globalresearch.ca On June 21, the Iranian Navy dispatched two warships to the Gulf of Aden, where a fierce battle is ongoing between the Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis) and the Saudi-led coalition for the port city of al-Hudaydah….
(2018-06-23). Democrats back massive Pentagon budget for war and repression. wsws.org Democrats voted overwhelmingly for a bill to vastly expand the US nuclear arsenal, authorize Trump's planned military parade, and keep the Guantanamo Bay prison camp open.
(2018-06-22). Could "Tough Love" Salvage Lebanon? counterpunch.org "You could qualify for U.S. and Western aid to salvage Lebanon or you can cede what's left of your country's sovereignty to Iran. But you cannot do both." A US Congressional staffer after his boss recently introduced legislation to cut off all aid to Lebanon until it "cleans its house of Iranian militia and restores More
(2018-06-22). Hungering for Nuclear Disarmament. counterpunch.org In the state of Georgia's Glynn County Detention Center, four activists await trial stemming from their nonviolent action, on April 4, 2018, at the Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay. In all, seven Catholic plowshares activists acted that day, aiming to make real the prophet Isaiah's command to "beat swords into plowshares." The Kings Bay is home port More
(2018-06-22). The Nuclear Status Quo. counterpunch.org Peace, love and Donald Trump? I get the skepticism regarding the tentative nuclear disarmament agreement the president and Kim Jong-un reached last week, but not the cynicism — not the outright dismissal. It's too easy to hate Trump, but he isn't the point. In his reckless unpredictability — in his lust for applause and desperation More
(2018-06-22). Indifference to a Hellish World. counterpunch.org Obligatory apathy: We live in a society that despises any sign of caring about just how bad things are for most people. The planet is corroding and smoldering, and time and resources are going into nuclear weapons and sending humanity into its own carefully prepared hell. The unequal global economy is efficiently stimulating the starvation More
(2018-06-22). North Korea Agreed to Denuclearize, But US Refuses Despite Treaty Obligation. consortiumnews.com After North Korea agreed in principle to get rid of its nukes, the U.S. continues to ignore its obligation under the NPT to also eliminate its nuclear weapons, as Marjorie Cohn explains. By Marjorie Cohn A powerful economic incentive continues… Read more →
(2018-06-22). Trump prolongs sanctions against North Korea for another year. rt.com 
Despite a recent thaw in relations with Kim Jong-un, President Donald Trump is renewing US sanctions on North Korea for another year, justified by "an unusual and extraordinary" nuclear weapons threat.
(2018-06-22). Confronting the Consequences of Obama's Foreign Policy. theintercept.com Subscribe to the Deconstructed podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Radio Public, and other platforms. New to podcasting? Click here. | Barack Obama was one of the most polarizing presidents of the modern era. To the right, he was a weak, feckless leader who led from behind and went on apology tours while failing to crack down on radical Islamic terrorism and "illegal immigrants." To his critics on the left, he was the deporter in chief, the drone president, bombing villages in Pakistan, assassinating Americans without trial in Yemen, arming rebels in Syria, launching a military intervention in Libya without congressional approval. While Obama did embrace the U.S. empire — killing civilians and selling weapons to awful regimes — he also pulled some of the biggest diplomatic breakthroughs of our time, negotiating the Iran nuclear…
(2018-06-21). Wilkerson: Don't Trust Trump, Bolton to Deliver US-North Korea Peace. therealnews.com 
The US has suspended war games as part of Trump's commitment in Singapore, but his administration can't be trusted to deliver a comprehensive denuclearization deal with North Korea, says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson
(2018-06-21). An Elite Coalition Emerges Against a Trump-Kim Agreement. consortiumnews.com Media coverage of the Trump-Kim summit has highlighted a political reaction that threatens to torpedo any possible U.S-North Korean agreement on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, says Gareth Porter. By Gareth Porter Special to Consortium News An implicit coalition of… Read more →
(2018-06-18). N. Korea sanctions: 'With Trump administration the only thing you can count on is nothing'. rt.com 
North Korea will only carry out the denuclearization in exchange for a new policy from the US: meaning a peace treaty, the normalization of relations and easing of economic sanctions, Brian Becker from Answer Coalition told RT.
(2018-06-14). Pundits Worry Threat of Nuclear War Is Being Reduced. fair.org 
Media outlets don't want America to negotiate with North Korea; they want the US to hold North Korea for ransom. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow (6/12/18) appears dismayed by the manifestation of a US president meeting with an Official Enemy. | On MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, the host was aghast (6/12/18) that the US says it will halt the annual war games it conducts with South Korea on North Korea's doorstep, because doing so is "an absolute jackpot for the North Korean dictator," "one of the things he wants most on earth," and now Washington "has just given them that for free, for nothing." | Maddow implied that Trump has taken this step out of fealty to Russia, and complained that pausing war games that threaten North Korea benefits Russia and China. She twice called the Kim/Trump summit a "wedding," twice said that the…
(2018-06-14). Headlines for June 14, 2018. democracynow.org White House Will Back House Immigration Bills Condemned by Advocates, Canada Appeals to U.S. Senators to End Trump's Trade War, Journalist's Lawsuit Against Federal "Kill List" to Proceed, Antarctic Ice Melt Speeding Up, Threatening Coastal Cities Worldwide, Harvard Scientists Warn Trump's EPA Policies Could Kill 80,000+ Per Decade, Yemen: U.N. Warns of Catastrophe Amid Saudi-Led Assault on Port City, U.N. General Assembly Condemns Israel's Massacre of Gaza Protesters, West Bank Palestinians Protest PA Sanctions Against Gaza Strip, Mexican Congressional Candidate Assassinated After Debate, Bolivian Police Crack Down on Protests Calling for Education Funding, Argentina Lawmakers Debate Bill to Decriminalize Some Abortions, Trump Says North Korea Not a Nuclear Threat, Praises Kim Jong-un, Democratic Leaders Blast Trump for Halting Korea War Games, Massachusetts Sues Purdue Pharma Executives over OxyContin Deaths, L.A. Prosecutors Looking into Sylvester Stallone Rape Allegations, Texas: No New Trial for Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegal Voting, Protests Erupt as Jersey City Confiscates Indypendent Newspaper Boxes…
(2018-06-12). Rep. Ro Khanna: If U.S.-North Korea Summit Happened Under Obama, Democrats Would Be Cheering. democracynow.org 
As President Trump prepared for his historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats penned a letter last week threatening to maintain or even strengthen sanctions against North Korea if Trump did not ensure that the country completely dismantle all of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The lawmakers wrote, "Any deal that explicitly or implicitly gives North Korea sanctions relief for anything other than the verifiable performance of its obligations to dismantle its nuclear and missile arsenal is a bad deal." Progressives have blasted the letter for its hardline stance. Fifteen Democratic congressmembers, including Ro Khanna of California, penned a letter to President Trump, writing, "diplomacy is the only path to resolve the tensions between our countries." In Washington, D.C., we are joined by Rep. Ro Khanna.
(2018-06-12). Trump Vows to End "Provocative" War Games on Korean Peninsula After Historic Summit with Kim Jong-un. democracynow.org 
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have wrapped up a historic summit pledging to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, with President Trump announcing the end of U.S.-South Korean war games. The summit marked the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. For more, we speak with investigative journalist Tim Shorrock in Singapore.
(2018-06-12). Headlines for June 12, 2018. democracynow.org In Historic Summit, Trump & Kim Jong-un Pledge to Pursue Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula, Jeff Sessions: Domestic & Gang-Based Violence Will No Longer Be Grounds for Asylum, Honduran Asylum Seeker Who Died by Suicide After Being Separated from Child Was Fleeing Violence, "Systemic Traumatization": Psychologists Slam Policy of Separating Families at Border, Supreme Court Rules 5-4 to Uphold Ohio's Decision to Purge Voting Rolls, Dozens Arrested Nationwide at 5th Week of Poor People's Campaign Protests, Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Earned $82M While Working at White House Last Year, Yemen: U.S.-Backed Saudi Coalition Bombs Doctors Without Borders Cholera Clinic, Syria: Nearly 1 Million People Internally Displaced During First 4 Months of 2018, Vietnam: Over 100 People Detained Protesting Special Economic Zones, Naples Mayor Condemns Italy's Decision to Turn Away Refugee Boat as "Crime Against Humanity", Education Dept. Probing Handling of Sexual Abuse Claims Against USC Gynecologist…
(2018-06-12). A New Day for the Korean Peninsula: Christine Ahn Hails Denuclearization Pledge & New Peace Process. democracynow.org 
On Tuesday, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sat down for two hours in private, with only their two interpreters, for a historic summit held in Singapore. In a joint statement following the meeting, Trump and Kim pledged to recover the remains of American prisoners of war and those missing in action from the Korean War. The commitment was one of four plans outlined by the leaders after their historic summit, where they promised to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. For more, we're joined by Christine Ahn, founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, a global movement of women mobilizing to end the Korean War.