Rogue State

Trump, Duterte, Congress, and the Philippine Drug War Killings

"The Philippine National Police (PNP) acknowledge over 3,900 people have been killed in anti-drug operations under the Duterte administration, plus nearly 2,300 more drug-related murders and thousands still 'unexplained.' Our statement also notes the Philippines saw a roughly 50% increase in its official homicide rate, starting immediately when Duterte took office – hard to explain in the absence of an official policy of extrajudicial killing."

Continue ReadingTrump, Duterte, Congress, and the Philippine Drug War Killings

‘We the People’: The New Permanent Underclass in America

"It’s not just the government’s endless wars that are bleeding us dry. We’re also being forced to shell out money for surveillance systems to track our movements, money to further militarize our already militarized police, money to allow the government to raid our homes and bank accounts, money to fund schools where our kids learn nothing about freedom and everything about how to comply, and on and on. Are you getting the picture yet? The government isn’t taking our money to make our lives better."

Continue Reading‘We the People’: The New Permanent Underclass in America

‘Over 130 children die each day’ in US-backed blockade of Yemen

"Save the Children says more than 50,000 youngsters are believed to have already lost their lives so far this year. The organisation has said a blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels will almost certainly make things worse. The World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the World Food Programme said seven million people are on the brink of famine. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since March 2015 and three million have been displaced."

Continue Reading‘Over 130 children die each day’ in US-backed blockade of Yemen

Clinton aide: 1998 Iraq bombing was impeachment distraction [2016]

"The strikes - known as Operation Desert Fox- were ordered the day after the House of Representatives issued a report accusing the president of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' and ended on the day the articles of impeachment were passed. Previous strikes in 1996, Operation Desert Strike, were ordered during a campaign finance scandal. Among the other allegations leveled in the article are claims that the Gulf War of 1991 was driven by a desire for profits and political gain, with the U.S. government and media glossing over the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis who were 'demonized' and 'characterized as subhuman'."

Continue ReadingClinton aide: 1998 Iraq bombing was impeachment distraction [2016]

Senator highlights U.S.-backed war crimes in unauthorized Yemen war

"The brutal war in Yemen has killed well over 10,000 people since Saudi Arabia began bombing the country in 2015, but in recent months cholera has been killing people much faster than bombs. Saudi Arabia, led by its headstrong Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is hoping to use disease and starvation to force the country to surrender to its terms, a strategy that is on its face a war crime. Murphy’s comments came a day after the House of Representatives voted 366-30 to passing a non-binding resolution that said the U.S. role in the war had not been authorized by Congress."

Continue ReadingSenator highlights U.S.-backed war crimes in unauthorized Yemen war

Why the United States will never leave Yemen

"At least 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and seven million are in dire need of food assistance. The US began supporting the Saudi-led coalition through a decision by then-US President Barack Obama, who cited the Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to justify US involvement. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has done the same."

Continue ReadingWhy the United States will never leave Yemen

Can Congress stop Trump from supporting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen?

"In 2015, President Barack Obama supported Saudi Arabia's war effort in Yemen, and President Donald Trump has continued the mission. The fight for control of Yemen shows no sign of stopping. The war has killed thousands of civilians, caused widespread food shortages and triggered a cholera epidemic. Yemenis have been plunged into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. In its drive to destroy rebel targets, the Saudi-led coalition has struck hospitals, schools and marketplaces in scores of well-documented attacks."

Continue ReadingCan Congress stop Trump from supporting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen?

Saudis withdraw from US-backed starvation blockade in Yemen

"As children in war-torn Yemen continue to face severe malnutrition and a deadly cholera outbreak, Saudi Arabia has agreed to reopen air and sea ports following a week-long blockade. The Saudi-led coalition, which is backed by the US, launched an aerial campaign against Shiite Houthi rebels in March 2015, and later began a ground operation. The coalition is allied to Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia when the Houthis took power in Yemen. According to the latest UN figures, the conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 5,000 civilians. More than 8,500 people have been injured in the ongoing fighting."

Continue ReadingSaudis withdraw from US-backed starvation blockade in Yemen

Duty, Honor, Atrocity: George W. Bush Receives West Point Character Award

"In George W. Bush’s home state of Texas, if you are an ordinary citizen found guilty of capital murder, the mandatory sentence is either life in prison or the death penalty. If, however, you are a former president of the United States responsible for initiating two illegal wars of aggression, which killed 7,000 U.S. servicemen and at least 210,000 civilians, displaced more than 10 million people from their homes, condoned torture, initiated a global drone assassination campaign, and imprisoned people for years without substantive evidence or trial in Guantanamo Bay, the punishment evidently is to be given the Thayer Award at West Point."

Continue ReadingDuty, Honor, Atrocity: George W. Bush Receives West Point Character Award

Fire Congress, Impeach Trump: The CIA Flips Off America

"These files are not in compliance with the law no matter what the main stream media says. They are an in-your-face flipped bird to the American public. They basically tell us that the CIA is saying that they don’t have to comply with the law of the land and that they will not tell us their secrets and that there is nothing we can do about it. I’ve been here before."

Continue ReadingFire Congress, Impeach Trump: The CIA Flips Off America