Surprise! John Bolton now ready to testify at Trump impeachment trial, shortly after tweeting his strong support for Suleimani’s assassination…–Bolton’s shift is challenge to McConnell’s effort to block witnesses, but Johnny Moustache is a wily, unpredictable partisan
–Venezuela’s Maduro blocks rival Juan Guaido from re-election as Assembly leader, and yellow journalism distorts the events
–under cruel, bizarre Trump policy, Mexicans who seek asylum will be deported to Guatemala, an even more dangerous country
–Julian Castro endorses Elizabeth Warren, who lags in latest polls from IA and NH
–an American soldier and 2 contractors were killed by al-Shabob in Kenya—will we drone their top general?
+++ regarding Trump’s illegal attack on Iranian general
–at The Grayzone, Max Blumenthal is first to report that Gen. Suleimani was lured to his assassination by Trump’s phony support for mediation that Iraq was brokering with Iran and Saudi Arabia
–citing the same Sunday speech by Iraq’s prime minister, NY Times makes no mention of the mediation
—NY Times reports Pentagon officials were stunned when Trump chose the most extreme option they had presented
–Trump tweets war crime threat of hitting Iranian cultural sites, in threat he imagines will end threats from Iran…genius!
—Buzzfeed touts Sen. Tim Kaine’s plan to force war powers vote, when the effort has long been led by Reps. Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna and Sen. Sanders
–basking in the afterglow of the Big Kill, Trump tells evangelicals that “God is on our side”
–corporate media bury the second illegal assault in Iraq, which killed 5 just hours after Suleimani was droned
–one of Tehran’s first reactions is to increase uranium enrichment
–obscure US government website was hacked on Saturday, posting photo of bloodied Trump getting punched by Iran
–Iranian Americans who went to concert in Vancouver are detained at border crossing in Washington state
–report from Defense Intelligence Agency in 2019 defines Iran’s military goals as primarily defensive
Recommended commentary and reaction:
–Col. Andrew Bacevich offers blistering, bipartisan criticism
–at Counterpunch, Paul Street echoes Bacevich, with more candid language
–Scott Ritter has 2 strong commentaries, here and here
–at ConsortiumNews, Pepe Escobar fingers Israel for prodding Trump
and the VIPs crew is on the same page
–Craig Murray exposes the “Bethlehem Doctrine of Pre-Emptive Self-Defense”, a must-read
–and Chas W. Freeman has very strong comments
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