(2021-08-20). Despite Departure from Afghanistan, America still Has an Archipelago of 750 Military Bases around the World. juancole.com 
By Patterson Deppen | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — It was the spring of 2003 during the American-led invasion of Iraq. I was in second grade, living on a U.S. military base in Germany, attending one of the Pentagon's many schools for families of servicemen stationed abroad. One Friday morning, my class was on the …
(2021-08-20). G7 Seeks Cooperation on Evacuation Amid Chaos in Kabul. telesurenglish.net The Group of Seven (G7) on Thursday sought to secure close cooperation in personnel evacuation and the resettlement of refugees as chaos continues at the Kabul airport amid the hasty withdrawal of the U.S.-led military troops in Afghanistan and the Taliban's swift takeover of the Asian country. | RELATED: | The foreign affairs ministers of G7, including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States,…
(2021-08-20). Study finds evidence of novel coronavirus circulating in Italy in late summer 2019. ecns.cn A new study has revealed evidence that the novel coronavirus may have been circulating undetected in northern Italy as early as late August or early September 2019, months before the first infections were officially reported.
(2021-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2021. democracynow.org Pentagon Boosts U.S. Troop Levels in Kabul as Chaotic Evacuations Follow Taliban Takeover, Taliban Says It Executed Former Islamic State Leader Abu Omar Khorasani, Afghan Youth Soccer Player Zaki Anwari Died in Fall from U.S. Plane Evacuating Kabul Airport, Afghan Immigrants in Greece Demand Sanctuary for Refugees Fleeing Afghanistan, WHO Slams Rich Nations for Offering Booster Shots While Just 2% of Africa's Population Is Vaccinated, Texas Supreme Court to Allow Schools to Defy Gov. Abbott's Ban on Mask Mandates, Major Hospital in Port-au-Prince Closes After Gangs Kidnap Doctors, Hampering Earthquake Relief, Rep…
(2021-08-20). If Only Afghans Were Jews. warisacrime.org 
The U.S. and other governments are not making the priority of rescuing endangered people from Afghanistan that a consumer of Hollywood movies might imagine being made were the endangered people Jews in Nazi Germany. Sadly, the reality in the 1940s was no different from today. Major investments went into wars, and Western officials wanted no …
(2021-08-20). In Video: Al-Quds Brigade Fighters Uncover, Destroy ISIS Hideouts In Central Syria. southfront.org 
File image. | On August 20, the al-Quds Brigade, a Palestinian faction that has been supporting the Damascus government since its formation in 2013, shared a video documenting one of its recent combing operations in central Syria. | The video shows al-Quds Brigade fighters uncovering and destroying several hideouts of ISIS cells in an unspecified part of the central region. Several vehicles of the terrorist group were also destroyed. | The al-Quds Brigade, which is reportedly backed by Russia, has been operating ag…
(2021-08-20). Intense Russian Airstrikes Hit Greater Idlib As Syrian Army Places Troops On High Alert (Videos, Photos). southfront.org 
2712070 10/04/2015 Russian servicemen attach a Kh-25 high-precision missile to a Su-24 aircraft at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Dmitriy Vinogradov/RIA Novosti | On August 19, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out intense airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, where several terrorist groups are active. | The airstrikes targeted the outskirts of the town of Ein Shib in the western Idlib countryside as well as the outskirts of town of Qurqnia in the northern countrysi…
(2021-08-20). Danish nurses' strike crosses two months. peoplesdispatch.org The nurses' strike in Denmark demanding pay rise and an end to wage gaps entered its 62nd day on August 19, making it the longest such action by nurses in the country…
(2021-08-20). U.S. Air Force leads Norwegian NATO ally in Arctic warfare exercise. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Air Forces Europe — Air Forces Africa integrates with Norwegian allies for Arctic CJADC2 exercise Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe — Air Forces Africa and NATO were hosted today by Norwegian allies for a Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control integration exercise. The event trained U.S. and ally forces to integrate, operate, …
(2021-08-20). "Lives Before Profits": Initial election meeting of the SEP in Germany. wsws.org Last Sunday the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), broadcast its initial election rally in advance of the German federal elections on September 26.
(2021-08-20). The Bases are Loaded: 750 US Military Bases Still Surround the Planet. counterpunch.org It was the spring of 2003 during the American-led invasion of Iraq. I was in second grade, living on a U.S. military base in Germany, attending one of the Pentagon's many schools for families of servicemen stationed abroad. One Friday morning, my class was on the verge of an uproar. Gathered around our homeroom lunch
(2021-08-20). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: It's like a Code Red hospital alert. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org An overwhelming surge of COVID-19 cases is underway in the U.S. The delta variant continues to spread, the lambda variant is showing up, and some people are refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or wear face masks. "My message today is a hospital term and that's Code Red," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "It is Code Red in the U.S. and for the globe regarding…
(2021-08-20). Ukraine: Will Zelensky Renew Multimillion Dollar Business Ties with Russia after His Presidency? globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-20). Donbass In Deadlock As Ukrainian President Makes Indecent Remarks About Russians. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image Written by Uriel Araujo, researcher with a focus on international and ethnic conflicts. | The situation in Donbass seems to have become a deadlock; Ukrainian authorities in Kiev keep hampering peace negotiations and hostilities go on — for example, last week the Ukrainian military moved at least nine airborne infantry fight vehicles to the disengagement line in…
(2021-08-20). Zelensky To Likely Renew Multimillion Dollar Business Ties With Russia After His Presidency. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imagePresident Zelensky wants Ukrainians to "do what I say and not as I do". | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | Russophobia and Far Right nationalism have defined and dominated Ukrainian politics, especially since the 2014 Coup in Kiev, or more popularly known as the Maidan Revolution. Following the Maidan Revolution and the resulting removal of President Viktor Yanukovych from office, Petro Poroshenko ascended to the presidency. Poroshenko…
(2021-08-20). Zelensky: Ukraine's NATO membership would back down nuclear Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky: Being NATO nation would offer Ukraine protection from fresh Russian offensive President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that NATO membership would offer Ukraine protection from a fresh Russian offensive, The Washington Post reports, citing an interview with the head of state. **** According to the President, the ambiguity over Ukraine's NATO admittance is "a …
(2021-08-20). Dissenter Weekly: Whistleblowing In South Africa, Covid App Fiasco In UK (Exclusive For Paid Subscribers). thedissenter.org In this edition of "Dissenter Weekly," host Kevin Gosztola goes through whistleblower stories from the week of August 19, 2021. | We highlight a report from Corruption Watch in South Africa on thousands of whistleblower complaints against municipalities (or local governments) over the past nine years. | The show also covers an article from The Guardian on a whistleblower, who exposed a major problem with an app being used by the United Kingdom to notify residents that they were exposed to COVID-19. | In the conclusion, Kevin goes over a few stories reported at The Dissenter on drone whistleb…
(2021-08-20). Arreaza Questions 'Anti-Diplomatic Circus' of UK's Top Diplomat in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, August 20, 2021 (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela's outgoing Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, questioned the meeting that the United Kingdom's Chargé d'Affaires in Venezuela, Rebecca Buckingham, held with the extremist opposition Juan Guaidó whom the British diplomat labeled "interim constitutional president." | "President? Constitutional? I did not know that Narnia had a Constitution," jokingly replied the Venezuelan top diplomat who asked if this meeting was to justify the theft of Venezuelan gold that is being illegally seized by the Bank of England. "A whole anti-diplomatic circus," Ar…
(2021-08-19). Russian FM Highlights Taliban's Call for National Dialogue. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted in Moscow the call made by the Taliban movement to start a national dialogue with other political forces in Afghanistan. | RELATED: | At a joint press conference with Libya ¥s National Unity Government ¥s Foreign Minister, Najla al Mangoush, Lavrov reiterated that his country would promote talks among Afghan political groups and will seek to…
(2021-08-19). Turkey ready to repeat Syria, Libya, Karabakh model in Afghanistan. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Stability, peace appear out of reach in Afghanistan without Turkey [T]he only country that has proven strong and effective in establishing peace and stability in Libya and Syria…is Turkey. Turkey played a significant role in ending the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, ensured continuing cease-fires in Syria and Libya, and Afghanistan is an issue of interest …
(2021-08-19). Post-US Afghanistan: Can China Navigate a Way Through the Tombstones? counterpunch.org Beijing. Another name has been chiseled on the tombstone in the graveyard of empires. The United States of America. 2001-2021. From the swords of Alexander the Great, the British empire, the Russians before and after Lenin, and the US as the newest members of the Great Game, military powers have seen the Afghan sand swallow
(2021-08-19). Leading Russian official compares Ukraine to Afghanistan. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Excerpts from an interview with Secretary of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, who has traditionally been one of the more perceptive Russian officials. [In December 2013 he said that Ukraine was Washington's payback for Syria; that the U.S. was punishing Moscow for intervening to prevent a U.S.-NATO war against Syria in the preceding months by …
(2021-08-19). Afghan Aftermath… Europe Braces for Another U.S.-Induced Migration Crisis. strategic-culture.org Regarding the Biden administration and its unctuous professions of transatlantic unity, the European governments must be wondering… with friends like that who needs enemies? | President Joe Biden vowed "America is back" when he took office, meaning that Washington would realign with and respect European allies under its global leadership after the years of Trump discord. | The European political establishment swooned and cooed like dutiful debutantes apparently having Uncle Sam's affections and patronage again. | How quickly indeed has that supposedly rosy relation between the U.S. and the Europeans been ruptur…
(2021-08-19). One million troops from NATO member, partner states fought in Afghan war. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO Military Committee convenes special meeting with Resolute Support Mission Partners The RSM Partners are: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Finland, Georgia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Sweden and Ukraine. From the text of Admiral Bauer's video message on the mission in Afghanistan on August 19: Dear troops from Allied and partner countries who have served the …
(2021-08-19). Afghanistan: Turkey to work with NATO, ensure "well-being of our Turkish kin" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Turkey ready for any kind of cooperation with Afghanistan: Erdogan "[W]e are ready for all kinds of cooperation for the peace of the Afghan people, the well-being of our Turkish kin living in this country, and the protection of our country's interests," he [President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] stated. **** The continued military presence of Turkey …
(2021-08-19). "Revelations of Carter's Former Advisor : 'Yes, the CIA entered Afghanistan before the Russians…'" (1998). mronline.org 
Question: The former director of the CIA, Robert Gates, stated in his memoirs that the American intelligence services began to aid the Mujahiddin in Afghanistan six months before the Soviet intervention. In this period, you were the national security advisor to President Carter. You therefore played a key role in this affair. Is this correct?>
(2021-08-19). Turkey hunts down, kills eight Kurds in drone attack. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Turkish drones used to murder people in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh are now also being used by the Ukrainian government in its war against the people of the Donbass. Turkey eliminates 8 PKK terrorists in Hakkari province Turkish gendarmerie forces killed a group of eight PKK [supporters] in southeastern Hakkari province, Interior Minister …
(2021-08-19). Turkish Drone Strike Hit SDF Military Coordination Center In Northeastern Syria (Photos). southfront.org 
Bayrakdar TB2 UCAV, source: ssb.gov.tr | On August 19 afternoon, a Turkish drone strike targeted a building near the town of Tell Tamer in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria. | The Hawar News Agency revealed that the Military Coordination Center of Tell Tamer Military Council, a faction of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was located in the targeted building. The center's task was to coordinate with Russian and Syrian government forces which are situated in the area. | The Tur…
(2021-08-19). Military Situation In Syria On August 19, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 18, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 25 times: 14 — in Idlib province, 6 — in Latakia province, 1 — in Hama province, 2 — in Aleppo province | On August 18, YPG artillery shelled Afrin city. Three people reportedly were killed | On August 18, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in al-Barah | On August 18, clashes between SAA and former rebels were reported in Daraa c…
(2021-08-19). Greater Idlib: Russian Airstrikes Wipe Out Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham Headquarters (Photos). southfront.org 
A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti | On August 19, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out several airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, which is held by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other terrorist groups. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Russian airstrikes targeted a headquarters of HTS located near the town of Ein Shib i…
(2021-08-19). Azeri sultan, aging odalisque/sultana inspect conquered land. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com AZERTAG reports that President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva viewed [the] charming Kelbajar Omar pass. President Ilham Aliyev: Our way is to Kalbajar, to the liberated Kalbajar. We are going to Kalbajar through Omar Pass…. This is my first visit to Kalbajar after the war…. Karabakh and East Zangazur are Azerbaijan!
(2021-08-19). NATO air missions on Russian, Belarusian borders, in Africa, Asia, Middle East. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Interview: Transport Aircraft for the EFP Mission Air transport of personnel and equipment is a major factor for the success of the eFP [NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence] mission in Lithuania. It is the fastest means of transport available to move the soldiers from Germany to their country of deployment and back…. This enables us to …
(2021-08-19). Election of Schmidt to High Representative of BiH Violates UN Security Council Protocols. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imageBeijing and Moscow react strongly against Schmidt's appointment. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | The Chinese Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) officially confirmed that Beijing does not accept the legitimacy of Christian Schmidt as the new High Representative in BiH. The move by China is not a surprise, especially if we consider that the Russian Ambassador to BiH, Igor Kalbukhov, recently stated that Moscow does not recognize the legality of Schmidt's a…
(2021-08-19). Data Contradicts Ukrainian Claims That Russia Is Cheating Europe Out Of Paid For Gas. southfront.org 
Nord Stream 2 pipelaying operation. Vessel Pioneering Spirit (25.02.19) close to Visby in the Baltic Sea Foto: Axel Schmidt/Nord Stream 2Ukraine continues campaign to end the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | Ukraine's gas transmission system operator hopes that the European Union will support them in their dispute with Russian state energy company Gazprom. According to Kiev, Gazprom is emptying its gas storage facilities in Europe in order to decrease tr…
(2021-08-19). People in Rich, 'Equal' Countries Tend to Choose 'Traditional' Gender Roles at Work, Study Finds. sputniknews.com In what is known as the 'equality paradox', men's and women's differences in preferences and career choices are more stark in countries considered gender-equal. For instance, 99 percent of all Swedish carpenters are men and about 90 percent of all assistant nurses and childminders are women.
(2021-08-19). Everyday Climate Catastrophe: Only Mass Action Will Save Us. counterpunch.org How many tragic pictures do we have to see? How many announcements? Climate Code Red, say the world's authoritative climate science group. July the hottest month in history. Shutdown of the Atlantic currents that drive the world's climate a real prospect. Fires ravaging Southern Europe, Siberia, Western North America.
(2021-08-19). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Almost 320,000 Nigerian doctors' strike over pay and arrears heads into third week; thousands of Danish nurses reject pay offer and walk out; Sunday strikes at ScotRail, Scotland demand equal overtime rates with drivers…
(2021-08-19). Collective Militarized White Supremacy and Black Neocolonialism in the Caribbean. popularresistance.org Except for the hum of US helicopters flying overhead, there was a deafening silence throughout the Caribbean region, during the recent Operation Tradewinds, Progressive and Pan-African forces did not utter a word, as soldiers from Guyana, Brazil, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago participated in this region-wide military exercise with army personnel from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and the Netherlands.
(2021-08-19). Collective Militarized White Supremacy And Black Neocolonialism. popularresistance.org Except for the hum of US helicopters flying overhead, there was a deafening silence throughout the Caribbean region, during the recent Operation Tradewinds, Progressive and Pan-African forces did not utter a word, as soldiers from Guyana, Brazil, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago participated in this region-wide military exercise with army personnel from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and the Netherlands. | We were told that Operation Tradewinds was "a US Southern Command sponsored combined joint exercise conducted with partn…
(2021-08-19). The All-American Base World. tomdispatch.com It was the spring of 2003 during the American-led invasion of Iraq. I was in second grade, living on a U.S. military base in Germany, attending one of the Pentagon's many schools for families of servicemen stationed abroad. One Friday morning, my class was on the verge of an uproar. Gathered around our homeroom lunch menu, we were horrified to find that the golden, perfectly crisped French fries we adored had been replaced with something called "freedom fries." "What are freedom fries?" we demanded to know. Our teacher quickly reassured us by saying something like: "Freedom fries are the exact same thing as Frenc…
(2021-08-19). Fishermen raise concern over Fryslân wind farm project in Netherlands. peoplesdispatch.org The Windpark Fryslân project in the bay of IJsselmeer is likely to adversely affect the fishing industry in the region. Fishermen here have also complained of not receiving the assistance that was promised by the Dutch government…
(2021-08-19). NATO holds anti-Russian air combat drills in Norway's High North. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO Multi-Domain Exercise on Norwegian Coast Norwegian F-35 fighter aircraft operated with NATO AWACS and U.S. Air Force and Navy assets in a multi-domain exercise off the Norwegian coast on August 18, 2021. **** …The exercise trained Alliance forces to integrate, operate, and communicate in the unique conditions of the High North. **** "Rapid and …
(2021-08-19). Russia deigns to notice massive U.S.-NATO military buildup in Poland, Ukraine. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukraine became NATO's first partner in 1991 and Poland joined NATO as a full member in 1999. It's unclear which era Moscow believes it's living in. Russia finds worrisome plans for US military buildup in Poland — Zakharova Moscow finds worrisome the US plans for increasing its military presence in Poland, where infrastructure is being …
(2021-08-19). How Russia-China Are Stage-managing the Taliban. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-19). Venezuela & Russia Examine Bilateral & International Agenda, COVID-19 Response (Phone Call). orinocotribune.com The Executive Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, discussed various issues of their bilateral and international agenda, the pandemic, as well as the dialogue process begun between the Bolivarian Government and the opposition, during a telephone conversation held this Wednesday, August 18. | The Russian Foreign Affairs Minister confirmed the willingness of his government to contribute to an inclusive solution to the Venezuelan conflict, respecting the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in…
(2021-08-19). Russia Supports Withdrawal of Foreign Military From Libya. telesurenglish.net Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that his country supports the withdrawal of foreign military personnel from Libya, which was agreeded during the 5+5 Military Committee meeting in August. | RELATED: | "We confirm Russia's support for the decisions made by the 5+5 Military Committee, including the decision on the need to withdraw all foreign troops without exception from Libyan territory," he said. | Libya's Foreign…
(2021-08-19). Russia Softens Edges In Space Scandal With U.S. southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | In 2018, a space scandal broke out between Washington and Moscow, following the joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS). | An air leak was detected in one of the Russian Soyuz capsules docked to the orbiting laboratory. There was a 2-millimeter puncture drilled near the toilet. | Click to see full-size image | The unveiled details indicated that the hole was likely made…
(2021-08-19). Foreign Minister Arreaza meets with Russian Ambassador Sergey Mélik-Bagdasarov. mppre.gob.ve In the spaces of the Casa Amarilla, in Caracas, the Peoplep's Power Minister for Foreign Relations, Jorge Arreaza, met this Wednesday with the ambassador of the Russian Federation accredited in Venezuela, Sergey Mélik-Bagdasárov, with whom he talked about bilateral cooperation and solidarity relations that consolidate the strategic alliance between both countries. In this context, they […] | La entrada
(2021-08-19). Second Russian Military Aircraft Crashed In Two Days. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 18, a MiG-29 fighter jet crashed in the Astrakhan region in Russia. The pilot was killed as a result of the accident during a training flight. | The information was confirmed by the press service of the Southern Military District."The aircraft crashed in a deserted area on the territory of the Ashuluk training ground. The flight was carried out without ammunition load, " the military department reported. | The reason of the crash are still unknown. A commission of the Main Command of t…
(2021-08-19). Finishing what ISIS started? Turkey attacks Yezidis in Iraq. roarmag.org 
YJ≈û fighters in Sinjar, Iraq. Photo: August is a solemn month for the Yezidi community of Iraq's Sinjar province. On August 3, 2014, ISIS advanced into the area in an attempt to eradicate the Yezidi people altogether. Men and older women were killed, younger women and girls were forced into sexual slavery, and boys were forced to become ISIS fighters. Those who managed to escape were trapped on Mount Sinjar for days with little food or water. To this day, many Yezidis displaced then are una…