MintPress News

1. Aysenur Eygi: American Lives Matter… But Not All of Them

On February 3, 2024, President Biden declared, "If you harm an American, we will respond." His remarks followed the deaths of three U.S. service members stationed at an airbase in Jordan, reportedly caused by a suicide drone attack launched by an Iraqi militia

However, this statement brings into sharp relief the unequal value placed on American lives in different contexts.

The killing of 26-year-old activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli military forces last Friday underscores this double standard. While the U.S. State Department has publicly mourned the death of Israeli-American citizen Hersch Goldberg-Polin and promised swift retribution against Hamas, it has remained largely silent on Eygi's death. Aside from a single vague comment by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the U.S. government has failed to meaningfully address the killing, prioritizing its strategic interests in West Asia over the loss of any particular American life.

The U.S. government is unlikely to respond meaningfully to Eygi's death, as its focus remains on maintaining its imperialist sphere of influence in West Asia, rather than prioritizing the safety of individual Americans.

Mainstream media has already attempted to highlight Eygi's Turkish ethnicity, subtly framing her as an "other" to deflect attention from the fact that she was a victim of her own country's foreign policy complicity. As with similar incidents, Israel will likely investigate itself, ultimately absolving its military of systemic wrongdoing or, at most, attributing the blame to a single soldier—ignoring the broader policy of targeting civilians.

Eygi is the third American to be killed in the West Bank since military operations escalated earlier this year. The other two victims, both 17-year-old Palestinian Americans, were Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a Louisiana native shot in January by an Israeli officer and a settler, and Mohammad Khdour, a Floridian who was fatally shot in the head by an Israeli gunman weeks later. Despite expressing regret over both killings, the U.S. government has refrained from initiating independent investigations, instead relying on Israel to investigate itself.

The president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Lara Friedman, told The Intercept on Friday that such lackluster responses have become a de facto policy in reaction to these recurring killings:

The policy of the U.S. government, both the executive and legislative branches, has effectively been that not all Americans are equal when it comes to dying in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Americans are worth fighting for accountability and Palestinian Americans and Americans who stand with them are not. It almost feels farcical to have to say that out loud, because the record is so clear."

The events since October 7, 2023, have shown that much of the mainstream media aligns itself with Western government policies, offering apologies for Israel, downplaying atrocities, and obscuring the reality on the ground. This media complicity mirrors the same hypocrisy and double standards that define Washington's approach.

Join us tonight on State of Play as we speak with a representative from the International Solidarity Movement for Palestine. We'll dive into the events on the ground and discuss their far-reaching implications. In this war of information, how can you ensure your voice is heard more effectively? Don't miss this crucial conversation.

Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst and a social media "influencer," though he hates the term.

MintPress News is a fiercely independent media company. You can support us by becoming a member on Patreon, bookmarking and whitelisting us, and subscribing to our social media channels, including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Subscribe to MintCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.

Also, be sure to check out rapper Lowkey's video interview/podcast series, The Watchdog.

The post Aysenur Eygi: American Lives Matter… But Not All of Them appeared first on MintPress News.

2. Meet the UK Political Prisoners for Palestine

The UK government's recent suspension of 30 arms export licenses to Israel marks a significant acknowledgment of the potential for British-supplied weapons to be used in war crimes. However, while the Labour administration takes tentative steps in recognizing these risks, it continues a parallel crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists and journalists.

Amidst accusations of terrorism under vague legal pretexts, prominent figures like Richard Medhurst, Sarah Wilkinson, and members of Palestine Action face arrests and convictions in what appears to be a broad campaign to silence opposition to Israel's military actions in Gaza.

On September 2, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing concerns that the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. While some have criticized the decision as insufficient and delayed, it indicates that the UK government acknowledges the potential for British-supplied weapons to be used in war crimes, a significant admission by the Labour government.

Despite documented human rights violations that have been condemned by various United Nations bodies and leading human rights organizations, the British government has chosen to intensify its actions against opponents of Israel's military operations in Gaza while maintaining its support for the Israeli government.

 

Richard Medhurst

Richard Medhurst is a well-known journalist and political commentator who has consistently opposed Britain's support for Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, which he views as war crimes.

In August, upon arriving at Heathrow Airport in London, he was immediately arrested by six police officers. They informed him that the arrest was made under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act.

Medhurst noted that he was accused of expressing an opinion or belief in support of a proscribed terrorist organization. However, he said the authorities "wouldn't explain what this meant."

"I was placed in solitary confinement, in a cold cell that smelt like urine. There was no light, and the bed—if you can even call it a bed—was simply a small concrete ledge with a paper-thin mattress," Medhurst explained in a 9-minute video where he shared his side of the story.

He categorically rejected any claims of involvement in terrorism, emphasizing that he is a journalist raised to be anti-war. He noted that both of his parents were Nobel Peace Prize recipients for their work as United Nations peacekeepers.

"Counterterrorism laws should be used to fight actual terrorism, not journalism," Medhurst continued. He added that he was not informed of the specific comments that had been construed as supporting a terrorist group. He speculated that the accusation likely stemmed from his coverage of the ongoing conflict in occupied Palestine.

Medhurst also expressed concern that the arrest and the requirement to check in with authorities in three months have restricted his free speech. He now fears that his words could be twisted and used against him.

 

Palestine Action

Since the onset of the war on Gaza, Palestine Action, an organization active since 2020, has intensified its campaign to dismantle weapons manufacturers like Elbit Systems in the United Kingdom and obstruct the transfer of arms components to the Israeli military.

Activists have employed tactics such as occupying facilities and sabotaging equipment belonging to these manufacturers, with the goal of disrupting the arms supply chain from British soil to Israel.

Most notably, Richard Barnard, co-founder of Palestine Action, has been charged under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for "expressing an opinion that is supportive of a proscribed organization." He also faces two additional charges of encouraging or intending to encourage criminal damage.

Although the specific grounds for the charge of supporting a terrorist organization have not been clearly defined, it is alleged that Barnard expressed support for Hamas. However, no public evidence has yet been presented to substantiate these claims.

In England, 11 members of Palestine Action have been imprisoned for their involvement in direct actions against weapons manufacturers. Among them are the "Filton 10," a group that includes Ian Sanders, Zoe Rogers, Hannah Davidson, William Plastow, Madeleine Norman, Samuel Corner, Fatema Rajwani, Charlotte Head, Jordan Devlin, and Leona Kamio.

Initially detained for a week under the Terrorism Act without charge, they were later charged with non-terror-related offenses and subsequently remanded to prison.

Additionally, activist Francesca Nadin took direct action against the Teledyne weapons factory in Shipley, effectively halting the production of parts for Israel's missiles and fighter jets. Following this, she was remanded to prison after being charged with "conspiracy to commit criminal damage" targeting two banks in Leeds, both of which are known to invest in Israel's largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems.

In Scotland, five activists — Ayesha, 23; Calum, 24; Eva, 26; Stuart, 26; and Sumo, 22 — were imprisoned on July 20, 2024, for occupying the Thales weapons factory in Glasgow, resulting in more than £1 million in losses. Two of the activists were convicted of "breach of the peace" and "malicious mischief" for destroying weapons components at the factory, leading to custodial sentences of 14 and 16 months. The remaining three were convicted of "breach of the peace" and handed 12-month custodial sentences.

All five are expected to serve at least half of their sentences in prison. According to the judge, the harsh punishment was intended to set an example.

 

Sarah Wilkinson

Twelve anti-terrorism police officers, described by her son as "balaclava-clad thugs," arrested 61-year-old activist Sarah Wilkinson after raiding her home in late August and seizing her electronic devices.

She was later released under the condition that she refrain from using electronic devices. Since then, she has been unable to continue her popular social media coverage of the war in Gaza.

Wilkinson has been a long-standing peace activist. She participated in an initiative in Jordan to airdrop humanitarian aid to the people of northern Gaza, who were suffering from starvation. She was also scheduled to join a humanitarian aid flotilla that aimed to sail to the besieged coastal enclave in an effort to break the Israeli siege.

Perhaps most recognized for her online activism, Wilkinson regularly engages with her 300,000 followers on X.

She stands accused of "posting content online," although it remains unclear which specific posts are in question or whether she faces additional charges under the Terrorism Act.

In response to her arrest, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters released a video statement claiming she was arrested "for standing up for human rights and campaigning against genocide." He added, "If you allow this to stand, the arrest of Sarah Wilkinson and the persecution of my friend Craig Murray, among others, then you have absolutely accepted that England is now a fascist state. 1984 has arrived and is alive and well in the United Kingdom. Over my dead body," he concluded.

OVER MY DEAD BODY

British human rights activist and social media influencer @swilkinsonbc was arrested by UK police on 29 August, reportedly over "content she posted online."

"The police came to her house just before 7.30am. [Twelve] of them in total, some of them in plain… pic.twitter.com/scm2HgZ97g

— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) August 29, 2024

Although the recent wave of arrests marks an escalation in the British government's crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists and journalists, this is not the first time such actions have been taken.

For example, Heba Alhayek, Pauline Ankunda, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo were each given a 12-month conditional discharge for displaying images of paragliders on their backpacks during a pro-Palestine protest in Central London in October. While the women were not explicitly showing support for Hamas, they had used paraglider images—symbolizing one of the methods Palestinian fighters employed to breach the Israeli security fence on October 7.

In this case, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram told the three women, "You crossed the line, but it would be fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learned." Although Ikram acknowledged that the women did not intend to support Hamas, they were still convicted of a terror-related offense.

In contrast, Israeli soldiers who directly participated in the Gaza ground invasion—an action the International Court of Justice (ICJ) considers to potentially constitute genocide—have been permitted to participate in speaking events in London.

In all these cases—both arrests and convictions—it appears that British authorities have sought to make examples of these individuals, aiming to silence them and intimidate others from engaging in similar activities.

The crackdown comes at a time when Israel is accused of committing serious crimes against civilians, which has been the root cause driving much of the activism and journalism mentioned.

Feature photo | A protester is seen with glue tape on her mouth and written 'FREE SPEECH' during a demonstration outside the Royal Court of Justice in London. Krisztian Elek | AP

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show 'Palestine Files'. Director of 'Steal of the Century: Trump's Palestine-Israel Catastrophe'. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

The post Meet the UK Political Prisoners for Palestine appeared first on MintPress News.

3. Western Crackdowns Target Journalists and Activists Critical of Israel

As the ceasefire deal drifts further out of reach due to the dispute over the Philadelphi Corridor, Western governments are ramping up their media and activism crackdowns. From the detention of UK-based journalists Richard Medhurst and Sarah Wilkinson to the FBI's raid on former Marine Intelligence officer Scott Ritter's home and the U.S. Marshals' questioning of Jewish activist Jacob Burger upon his return from a humanitarian trip to Egypt, we delve into the evolving information landscape. Join us as we explore the increasing censorship and scrutiny surrounding Israel and the United States' foreign policy.

The Jerusalem Post wrote last week that "Anti-Israel activist Sarah Wilkinson was arrested by British police on Thursday, according to the Beirut-based outlet to which she is a contributor. The Lebanese MENA Uncensored said that its writer Wilkinson was arrested for "supporting the Palestinian resistance." Combat Antisemitism Movement said on social media that Wilkinson had praised October 7 as "incredible" and wished Hamas "Godspeed."

It appears that Keir Starmer's internal changes within the Labour Party may have extended into the arrests of pro-Palestinian supporters, journalists, and activists, with critics suggesting that Britain's Prime Minister is attempting to frame his opponents as "supporters of terrorism."

The recent arrest of Sarah Wilkinson follows the earlier arrest of journalist Richard Medhurst, both of whom were charged under Section 12 of Britain's Terrorism Act. The act's language has been criticized for its broad scope, which allows for the possibility of charging individuals for a broad range of activities. For example, a person could be charged if they: (a) express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization, and  (b) in doing so, are reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed may be encouraged to support the proscribed organization.

This raises concerns, particularly within the context of Palestine. For instance, UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/38/17 (22/11/1983) reaffirmed "the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence, territorial integrity, national unity, and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid, and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle." In late July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel is operating as an apartheid occupation.

While Sarah Wilkinson did post on October 10, "Hamas airforce publish their incredible infiltration by air into the illegal Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope – #GodSpeed," these remarks could be interpreted in various ways. There should be an equal application of the law, and no one should be imprisoned solely for being galvanized by violence. If such a principle were to be applied, it would also need to encompass supporters of Israel who have espoused a striking zeal for Israel's ruthless prosecution of Gaza's civilian population.

Join us tonight for an in-depth discussion on how the West defines terrorism, the contrasting legal protections for free speech and censorship in the U.S. and U.K., and what this ongoing government and media crackdown signals about the broader implications of U.S. and Israeli policy in Palestine.

Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst and a social media "influencer," though he hates the term.

MintPress News is a fiercely independent media company. You can support us by becoming a member on Patreon, bookmarking and whitelisting us, and subscribing to our social media channels, including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Subscribe to MintCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.

Also, be sure to check out rapper Lowkey's video interview/podcast series, The Watchdog.

The post Western Crackdowns Target Journalists and Activists Critical of Israel appeared first on MintPress News.

4. Operation Summer Camps: Israel’s Largest West Bank Assault in Two Decades Sparks Fears of Annexation

Israel initially announced its largest military campaign in the West Bank since 2002, stating it would last only a few days and focus on the northern part of the occupied territory. However, "Operation Summer Camps" has since expanded into a much broader offensive, raising concerns that it may be paving the way for the de jure annexation of the West Bank.

On August 28, the Israeli army announced the launch of a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling Palestinian resistance groups operating in the northern West Bank. The operation began with the mobilization of tens of thousands of soldiers, accompanied by drones, attack helicopters, and military vehicles pouring into the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas.

The military operation, dubbed "Operation Summer Camps," has been described as the largest Israeli military action in the West Bank since "Operation Protective Shield" in 2002, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 500 Palestinians.

From the outset, various media outlets reported the Israeli government's narrative, which framed the operation as an effort to defeat "Iran-backed" armed groups and Hamas.

On the second day of the operation, The Associated Press published an article stating that 10 Hamas fighters had been killed. However, the Israeli military did not specify that all those killed were members of Hamas.

So far, the Israeli military has primarily targeted the al-Fara'a refugee camp in Tubas, Nour al-Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem, and the Jenin refugee camp. Surrounding areas have also been attacked.

Their tactics include using armored bulldozers to destroy roads, bombing entire buildings, and knocking out electrical and water facilities. Thousands have been forced to flee their homes on foot, while others have been sealed inside, unable to leave for fear of being shot.

Dozens of civilians have been killed or injured. Among them was an elderly man who was shot dead in front of his home and another man abducted from his house in Kafr Dan, west of Jenin. The latter was taken to the Salem checkpoint, where he was tortured to death.

Despite the military operation primarily taking place in the north of the occupied West Bank, it has already expanded to other areas, such as the Jordan Valley and the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, where a more limited assault is underway. Israel has now openly stated that Operation Summer Camps will last longer than initially expected and will include assaults on additional areas.

On August 31, a double operation targeted Israeli security and military officers in illegal Israeli settlements located between Bethlehem and al-Khalil, killing one and injuring four others. This was followed by a curfew imposed on al-Khalil. Shortly after, a former member of the Palestinian Authority's Presidential Guard shot and killed three Israeli occupation police officers near the city.

As tensions escalate across the West Bank, so does the military operation, which increasingly seems to be another step toward a de jure annexation of the occupied territory. In June, the Israeli army transferred many powers over the West Bank's illegal Israeli settlers to civilian control under Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler. This move was widely viewed as a de facto declaration of annexation, as applying civilian control powers indicates an intention to make these settlement blocs a permanent part of Israel.

In July, the Israeli Knesset unanimously voted to reject Palestinian statehood. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear his intentions to annex large swathes of the West Bank, particularly Area C, which constitutes 60% of the land.

Netanyahu publicly declared that his annexation plans date back to 2019, when he proposed the annexation of the Jordan Valley and major settlements. At that time, Netanyahu's government did not include the Religious Zionism alliance, which is now seen as driving force behind this development.

It appears that significant U.S. political donors have shown support for Israel's annexation plans. Israel's richest billionaire, Miriam Adelson, reportedly contributed $100 million to Donald Trump's campaign, with the expectation that he would recognize Israeli annexation of the West Bank if elected President.

To facilitate such an annexation, addressing resistance groups in the West Bank is seen as crucial to maintaining security. While Israeli forces killed 660 Palestinians between October 7 and the beginning of the military operation on August 28, the Israeli government has indicated a desire to intensify its efforts to further contain resistance.

Feature photo | Palestinian activist Khairi Hanoon waves the Palestinian flag as a convoy of Israeli military armored vehicles drives by during an army raid in Tulkarem, West Bank,, Sept. 3, 2024. Majdi Mohammed | AP

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show 'Palestine Files'. Director of 'Steal of the Century: Trump's Palestine-Israel Catastrophe'. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

The post Operation Summer Camps: Israel's Largest West Bank Assault in Two Decades Sparks Fears of Annexation appeared first on MintPress News.

5. Exposed: The US and Canadian Funding Behind Israeli Soldiers Accused of Rape

Cuffed and blindfolded 24 hours a day. Confined to animal pens. Attacked by dogs. This is reportedly the treatment of Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman, an Israeli military base in the Naqab desert. While claims of torture and abuse at the facility began circulating in December, the Israeli military did not open an investigation into the allegations until July 29, when 10 Israeli soldiers were detained on suspicion of sexually abusing a detainee.

In response to the soldiers' detention, a mob of right-wing extremists stormed Sde Teiman and later broke into the Beit Lid military base, where the detained soldiers were being held. Among those detained were soldiers from the Force 100 unit, which was resurrected at the onset of the war and has been responsible for guarding the detainees at Sde Teiman. Masked soldiers, wearing black shirts emblazoned with the unit's logo—a snake inside the Jewish Star of David—were seen participating in the protests.

*Southern Israel:* Force 100 soldiers who walked away from there posts to join the protest against the investigation of their comrades are welcomed with cheers and dances. pic.twitter.com/mYCwPhQi9d

— (((IsraelMatzav))) (@IsraelMatzav) July 29, 2024

Several Israeli lawmakers took part in the riots, including Otzma Yehudit's (Jewish Power) Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, Religious Zionism member of parliament, Zvi Sukkot, and parliamentary members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, Nissim Vaturi and Tally Gotliv.

Protests have continued to erupt in support of the soldiers, including, most recently, outside an Israeli High Court hearing on the case on August 7, 2024.

As allegations of torture and sexual abuse at Israel's Sde Teiman detention facility escalate and Israeli Military Police prepare to conclude their investigation and file indictments against the suspects, MintPress uncovers the financial and political infrastructure, including from the U.S. and Canada, backing these soldiers through tax-exempt organizations and crowdfunding platforms. This marks a disturbing shift in global support for human rights violations, now extending even to those implicated in the Israeli military's acts of sexual violence.

 

Donors and supporters of Sde Teiman suspects

The Israeli soldiers at the center of the investigation are suspected of sodomizing a detainee, a Hamas police officer, with an object. After the alleged abuse, the man was rushed to the hospital, where he was found to have signs of rape, including a ruptured bowel and broken ribs.

The case has deeply divided Israeli society, with many, including political leaders, defending the accused soldiers. Notably, much of this defense does not dispute the sexual abuse allegations but argues that the soldiers should be granted immunity.

"It doesn't matter what happened," Tally Gotliv said during the riots. "The moment it is about the soldiers and fighters who are guarding the Nukhba terrorists, no one may arrest them."

During a parliamentary discussion on the case, Likud MP Hanoch Milwidsky remarked, "When it comes to a Nukhba terrorist, every deed is legitimate."

The detainee was initially believed to be a member of the Nukhba forces, a unit of Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, but this was later proven false. He reportedly did not participate in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel either.

In addition to Israeli lawmakers, several right-wing organizations have joined recent protests in support of the accused soldiers. Soldiers from Force 100, the unit to which the detained reservists belong, have also protested their detention. Formed during the First Intifada in the 1990s to guard the influx of military prisoners, Force 100 was disbanded in the early 2000s when the responsibility for military prisoners was transferred to the Israel Prison Service (IPS). However, the unit was re-established following the October 7 attacks to manage the mass arrests of Palestinians suspected of terrorism.

Israeli right-wing non-profit Btsalmo, along with pro-military activist groups "Victory Generation" Reserves Movement and "Guarding the Soldiers," have actively participated in the demonstrations. According to the Israeli fact-checking organization FakeReporter, the settler-run Telegram channel "Fighting for Life" called on its followers to protest at Sde Teiman.

Additionally, activists from the pro-military group "Until Victory" joined the August 7, 2024, protest, which disrupted a Supreme Court hearing on petitions submitted by human rights groups regarding the abuse at the Sde Teiman facility.

While Btsalmo, the Victory Generation Reserves Movement, and Until Victory all accept tax-deductible donations within Israel, MintPress News found no connections between these groups and organizations outside of Israel. Similarly, Guarding the Soldiers and Fighting for Life do not appear to have any international links.

However, other protest groups involved in the demonstrations are affiliated with organizations based in the U.S. and Canada.

Video footage of the protests shows demonstrators wearing shirts from Im Tirtzu and Torat Lechima, and according to The Times of Israel, the anti-assimilation Jewish supremacist group Lehava is also involved in the movement. Honenu, a Zionist legal aid organization, is providing legal defense for the accused soldiers. All four groups receive backing from entities outside of Israel.

עכשיו בבית ליד.
קהל שפוי וערכי מציב מראה מול בית הדין של סדום ועמורה! pic.twitter.com/5oHhDkmTQ8

— Igal Malka (@igal_malka_5G) August 6, 2024

Both Im Tirtzu and Honenu receive donations from the Central Fund of Israel (CFI), a U.S. tax-exempt nonprofit. One of CFI's largest donors is the foundation of the late American billionaire Irving I. Moskowitz. Along with Torat Lechima, Im Tirtzu and Honenu also accept donations from the U.S., U.K., and Canada via JGive, a U.S.-Israeli crowdfunding platform. Im Tirtzu further links to the Zionist group Mizrachi Organization of Canada for tax-deductible donations in Canada. Other notable donors to Im Tirtzu include the Kingjay Foundation Trust and The Snider Foundation.

Shmuel Meidad, the founder of Honenu, is also involved with the Tikva Forum, a right-wing alternative to Israel's main hostage advocacy group, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum. In December 2023, Meidad participated in an internal Zoom call organized by the Tikva Forum. The Tikva Forum is further connected to Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, one of the protesters supporting the Sde Teiman suspects, through the Association of Community Rabbis—a nonprofit founded by Eliyahu and headed by his brother, Rabbi Ariel Eliyahu. The association funnels money to the Tikva Forum and is also fundraising on JGive, where it has raised just over NIS 12,700 (approximately $3,440) for the forum.

The Associated Press revealed in July that Torat Lechima raised funds for the Mother's March, one of the groups blocking aid to Gaza. The campaign, which has since ended, raised NIS 48,242 (nearly $13,000) on JGive. Torat Lechima also sponsored a Gaza resettlement conference held earlier this year in Jerusalem. Im Tirtzu has similarly been involved in blocking aid trucks to Gaza and has advocated for banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the only UN agency solely dedicated to Palestinian refugees, from operating in Israeli territory.

In recent months, the U.S., European Union, and the U.K. have all sanctioned Lehava for its violent activities against Palestinians. As a result, Lehava can no longer accept donations through its nonprofit, the Foundation for the Salvation of the People of Israel, or HaKeren LeHazalat Am Israel (HLAI) in Hebrew. As previously reported by MintPress News, the organization is run by Ben Tzion Gopstein, a notorious follower of Meir Kahane, whose extremist, anti-Arab ideology became known as Kahanism. Additionally, Kahanist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir's spouse, Ayala Ben Gvir, is also listed as a founder of HLAI.

Lehava appears to be supported by the American tax-exempt organization Tomchei Tzedaka. Lehava's U.S. wing links to Tomchei Tzedaka's website through its donation button. When contacted by MintPress News regarding its relationship with Lehava and why its website links to the sanctioned group, Tomchei Tzedaka stated that they "don't have any connection to them." However, when asked to clarify why their organization is linked to Lehava online, Tomchei Tzedaka did not respond.

 

Not just Sde Teiman

After months of reports detailing the torture and inhumane treatment of detainees at Sde Teiman, a coalition of human rights groups petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to permanently shut down the facility. While approximately 700 detainees were previously held at Sde Teiman, they have since been transferred to other prisons. Currently, the facility is holding 28 detainees.

"According to all testimonies, these detainees regularly endure severe violence, resulting in fractures, internal bleeding, and even death," wrote the Israeli NGO Physicians for Human Rights in Israel (PHRI) in its report on Sde Teiman. PHRI, one of the organizations petitioning the Supreme Court for the facility's closure, has called for immediate action to end the abuse.

Speaking to MintPress News, Naji Abbas, director of the prisoners and detainees department at Physicians for Human Rights in Israel (PHRI), described the harsh conditions faced by detainees at Sde Teiman:

We understand that all the detainees in this facility are being cuffed the whole time — 24 hours — for weeks and for months. In a lot of cases, these cuffs caused injuries and infections and forced the medical staff to cut people's hands and legs because of the infection. Their eyes were covered the whole time — 24 hours — for weeks and months. The field hospital is providing treatment just to people who got injured through combat. But if someone gets arrested and he's a patient with a chronic disease, he won't get treatment."

In December 2023, PHRI submitted a request to the Israeli military seeking information on the number of detainees who had died in their custody. The military finally responded in July, stating that 44 Palestinians had died in custody but did not specify where the deaths occurred.

"They refused to say if all of them died at Sde Teiman, but we believe most of them did," Abbas told MintPress.

The soldiers at Sde Teiman are accused of sexually abusing a detainee by inserting an object into his rectum, but according to Naji Abbas, this is not an isolated incident. In August, PHRI spoke with a doctor from Gaza who had been detained at Sde Teiman for three months.

"The doctor told our lawyer that he met at least ten other [detainees] — before the current allegations were made public — who had experienced sexual assault in the same way," Abbas said.

Furthermore, Abbas noted that accusations of sexual assault are not limited to detainees in military custody but are also emerging from prisons across Israel. In July, PHRI sent a letter to the director of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) regarding the abuse occurring within Israeli prisons. The letter included 15 testimonies, one of which described a similar instance of sexual assault to the one alleged at Sde Teiman. PHRI has yet to receive a response from the IPS. Right-wing lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir, who currently heads the Ministry of National Security, oversees Israel's prison system.

In August, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem published a report on the treatment of Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons and detention centers since October 7, 2023. The report, titled "Welcome to Hell," contains testimonies from residents of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and Israel, who were interviewed by B'Tselem after their release. The vast majority of these detainees were held in administrative detention, meaning they were incarcerated without trial.

The testimonies detailed "[f]requent acts of severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation; deliberate starvation; forced unhygienic conditions; prohibition of, and punitive measures for, religious worship; confiscation of communal and personal belongings; and denial of adequate medical treatment."

Several accounts mentioned sexual violence by prison guards and soldiers, with one testimony describing an attempted anal rape using a foreign object by prison guards.

In its report, B'Tselem concluded that Israel is committing acts of torture amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"When we got off the bus, a soldier said to us, 'Welcome to hell,'" recounted Fouad Hassan, a 45-year-old Nablus resident who was held in Megiddo Prison, in his testimony to B'Tselem.

Allegations of abuse and torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons are not new. The Palestinian prisoner rights group Addameer has long documented these issues. However, the situation escalated after October 7.

"While the policy of violence has been ongoing," Addameer wrote in a press release, "the Prison Service launched an unprecedented attack on prisoners in all Israeli prisons after October 7, implementing several policies that turned prisons into death traps for Palestinian prisoners."

Feature photo | This undated photo from Winter 2023 provided by Breaking The Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, shows Palestinian prisoners captured in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces at a detention facility on the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. Photo | Breaking The Silence via AP

Jessica Buxbaum is a Jerusalem-based journalist for MintPress News covering Palestine, Israel, and Syria. Her work has been featured in Middle East Eye, The New Arab and Gulf News.

The post Exposed: The US and Canadian Funding Behind Israeli Soldiers Accused of Rape appeared first on MintPress News.

6. Gaza’s Children Face Extermination Amid Bombings, Disease and Famine

The Israeli war on Gaza has become a war on Palestinian children. This was as true on October 7 as it is today.

On August 17, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a seven-day ceasefire to allow children in Gaza to be vaccinated against polio. "I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away, guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign," he said.

The first such case of the devastating epidemic was discovered in the town of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

"It is scientifically known that for every 200 virus infections, only one will show the full symptoms of polio, while the remaining cases may present mild symptoms such as a cold or a slight fever," Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan said on that same day.

This means that the virus may have spread to all parts of the Gaza Strip, where the entire healthcare system has been largely destroyed.

The ten-month-old Palestinian baby who was first to contract the poliovirus, like many more, never received a vaccination dose against the disease.

To prevent an even greater disaster in war-stricken Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said that they have to vaccinate 640,000 children throughout Gaza within a short period of time.

The task, however, is a difficult one, as the vast majority of Gazans are crammed into unsafe refugee camps – massive tent encampments, mostly in central Gaza with no access to clean water or electricity.

They are surrounded by over 330,000 tons of waste, which has further contaminated already undrinkable water which, according to experts, may have been the cause of the poliovirus.

The challenge of saving Gaza's children is complicated by the fact that Israeli bombs continue to be dropped on every part of Gaza, including the so-called 'safe zones', which were declared by Israel soon after the start of the war.

The other problem is that Gaza has, for months, subsisted without electricity. Without an efficient cooling system, the majority of the vaccines could become unusable.

But there is more to the suffering of Gaza's children than the lack of vaccination.

As of August 19, at least 16,480 children have been killed as a direct result of the war, in addition to thousands more who remain missing, presumed dead. The number, according to the Palestinian Minister of Health in Gaza, includes 115 babies.

Many children have starved to death, and "at least 3,500 children in Gaza are facing (the same fate) amid a lack of food and malnutrition under Israeli restrictions on the delivery of food," a ministry spokesman said.

Additionally, so far, more than 17,000 children in Gaza have either lost one or both parents since the start of the war on October 7.

One of the main reasons why Gaza's children account for the majority of victims of the war is that homes, schools and displacement shelters have been the main targets of the relentless bombardment.

According to a statement by the UN Experts last April, "more than 80% of schools in Gaza (have been) damaged or destroyed."

"It may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, an action known as 'scholasticide'," they wrote.

The trend of targeting schools continues. On August 18, Palestine's Education Minister, Amjad Barham, said that over 90 percent of all Gaza schools have been destroyed, the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported.

Of the 309 schools, 290 have been destroyed as a result of Israeli bombing. This has left 630,000 students with no access to education.

While homes and schools can be rebuilt, the precious lives of killed children cannot be restored.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, as of July 2, 8,572 students in Gaza and 100 in the occupied West Bank have been killed at the hands of the Israeli army. 14,089 students in Gaza and 494 in the West Bank have also been injured.

These are the worst losses suffered by Palestinian children within a relatively brief period of time since the Nakba, the destruction of the Palestinian homeland in 1948. The tragedy worsens by the day.

No child, let alone a whole generation of children, should endure this much suffering, regardless of the political reasoning or context.

International and humanitarian law has designated a "special respect and protection" for children during times of armed conflict, the international humanitarian law databases of the Red Cross resolve.  These laws may apply to Palestinian children in theory, but certainly not in practice.

The betrayal of these children by the international community shall stain the collective consciousness of humankind for decades to come.

Indeed, this is a war on Palestinian children – a war that must stop before a whole generation of Palestinian children is completely erased.

Feature photo | Children search for food in the garbage in Deir al-Balah. According to UN'Experts, famine has spread across the entire Gaza strip, due to Israel's ongoing war and siege on Gaza, July 15, 2024. Abed Rahim Khatib | AP

Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out'. His other books include 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter' and 'The Last Earth'. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

The post Gaza's Children Face Extermination Amid Bombings, Disease and Famine appeared first on MintPress News.

7. A War Crime America Tried to Forget: Haditha Massacre with Marine Lawyer Haytham Faraj

The Iraq War remains one of the clearest examples of how imperialism has devastated West Asia. While the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was championed as a move toward freedom, it instead led to a bloody vacuum of power, directly contributing to the rise of ISIS and the deaths of over a million people. While American soldiers also suffered trauma, injury, and death, it was the people of Iraq who bore the brunt of the war's devastation. Meanwhile, the U.S. military-industrial complex enriched itself as trillions of dollars were siphoned into defense contracts, and companies profited from the chaos.

Tragically, much of the war's reality has been obscured or downplayed by media and academic networks bent on justifying the U.S.'s actions, from its lies about weapons of mass destruction to its role in fostering terrorism. For Americans, the war has become synonymous with needless death and wasted resources. For Iraqis, it is a reminder of how "freedom" came at an unimaginable cost.

Two key incidents highlight the deep moral wounds of that war: the Abu Ghraib prison abuses and the Haditha Massacre of 24 civilians by U.S. Marines in 2005. Both cases showcased systemic failures in accountability and attempts at cover-up. While the images of Abu Ghraib went viral, exposing the horrific torture inflicted on Iraqis by U.S. forces, the Haditha massacre lacked similar visual proof until a New Yorker report released on August 27 shed new light on the tragedy. Although the Haditha massacre led to an investigation, no one was truly held accountable, and the incident faded into obscurity.

Tonight, on State of Play, we'll delve into this dark chapter and examine the larger implications for prosecuting war crimes today. As the Haditha massacre re-enters public discourse, what hope remains for accountability? How do institutions systematically cover up such crimes, and what does this mean for those responsible for the atrocities committed in places like Gaza today? It often feels as though the U.S. and Israel can investigate themselves and come away finding no fault—an all-too-common outcome for these global powers.

Joining us to discuss these issues is Haytham Faraj, a retired Marine Corps infantry officer and JAG lawyer who played a key role in investigating the Haditha massacre. His work uncovered a cover-up reaching to the highest levels of command, allowing the perpetrators of the massacre to evade justice. Faraj has co-authored a book about the case and the subsequent cover-up titled No Time for the Truth.

As we examine how the West Bank continues to be bulldozed into Gaza, the conversation about institutionally sanctioned war crimes, international humanitarian law, and systemic cover-ups becomes even more urgent. What can we do to challenge this status quo and ensure that war criminals, regardless of nationality, are brought to justice? Join us tonight as we confront these pressing questions and explore what steps can be taken to end this madness.

Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst and a social media "influencer," though he hates the term.

MintPress News is a fiercely independent media company. You can support us by becoming a member on Patreon, bookmarking and whitelisting us, and subscribing to our social media channels, including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Subscribe to MintCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.

Also, be sure to check out rapper Lowkey's video interview/podcast series, The Watchdog.

The post A War Crime America Tried to Forget: Haditha Massacre with Marine Lawyer Haytham Faraj appeared first on MintPress News.

8. Leaked: CIA Front Preparing Color Revolution in Indonesia

Editor's Note: Jakarta has been engulfed in fiery unrest in recent days, as thousands of protesters attempted to storm parliament in response to controversial changes to election laws. In September 2023, MintPress News revealed leaked files from the National Endowment for Democracy, suggesting that this CIA-linked organization has built an extensive network of political, media, and civil society infrastructure in Indonesia aimed at facilitating regime change. After years of fostering insurrectionary fervor in the country, has the NED's influence finally reached a boiling point? MintPress News is republishing the following groundbreaking investigation by Kit Klarenberg as events in Indonesia once again come to the fore.

Documents passed anonymously to MintPress News reveal the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a notorious CIA front, is laying the foundations for a color revolution in Indonesia.

In February 2024, citizens will elect their President, Vice President, and both legislative chambers. Current maverick leader Joko Widodo, widely beloved by Indonesians, is ineligible for a third term, and NED is preparing to seize power in the wake of his departure. This operation is conducted despite the leaks indicating Jakarta's foremost intelligence agency has expressly warned U.S. officials to stay put.

The paper trail is a stunning insight into how NED operates behind the scenes, from which obvious inferences can be drawn about its activities elsewhere, past and present. By the organization's own reckoning, it operates in over 100 countries and disperses in excess of 2,000 grants every year. In Indonesia, these sums have helped extend the Endowment's tendrils into various NGOs, civil society groups, and, most crucially, political parties and candidates across the ideological spectrum.

This broad spread bet goes some way to ensuring U.S. assets, one way or another, will emerge victorious next February. However, a veritable army of NED operatives on the ground is also primed to challenge, if not overturn, the results should the wrong people win. Personal grants – in other words, bribes – from the Endowment have already secretly been distributed to Indonesians for staging anti-government protests.

What skullduggery NED has in store for election day isn't certain, although sparks are assured to fly. At the very least, these documents amply reinforce what Endowment cofounder Allen Weinstein openly admitted in 1991:

A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA."

 

'The Jokowi Effect'

Joko Widodo – popularly known as Jokowi – is something of a rockstar. The first Indonesian leader not drawn from the country's established political or military elite since its hard-won independence from the Dutch in 1949, he was born and raised in a riverside slum in Surakarta. From there, he fought to become mayor of his hometown in 2005, then governor of Jakarta in 2012, then President two years later.

Every step of the way, Widodo has battled bureaucracy and corruption while pursuing programs to deliver universal healthcare, economic growth, radical infrastructure development, and material improvements to the lives of average citizens. Such is his domestic popularity that analysts routinely speak of the "Jokowi Effect." After the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle named him their presidential candidate in 2014, their vote share leaped 30% in that year's legislative election.

Widodo's candidacy also reportedly stimulated Indonesia's stock market and Rupiah currency due to his sparkling political and economic record. One might think burnishing the country's finances to such a degree through sheer force of personality would make him an ideal leader from Washington's perspective. Yet, the President has also prioritized "protecting Indonesia's sovereignty" and limiting overseas influence in Jakarta. Moreover, he pursues an intensely independent foreign policy, much to the U.S. Empire's chagrin.

Widodo has encouraged leaders of Muslim states to reconcile and pushed for Palestinian independence. His Foreign Minister visits Palestine but refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. He has also distributed sizable aid to oppressed Muslims abroad. Most egregiously, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he flew to both countries and urged their leaders to seek peace. When Jakarta hosted the G20 Summit that year, he invited not only Zelensky but Putin to attend despite fierce Western criticism.

In many ways, Widodo emulates the rule of Sukarno, Indonesia's first President, from 1945 to 1967. His policies, domestically and internationally, were explicitly anti-imperialist. At home, he prevented Western exploitation of his country's vast resource wealth while maintaining cordial relations with both East and West and personally championing the Non-Aligned Movement, members of which eschewed both power blocs to pursue an independent path.

Sukarno's bold refusal to bow to imperial interests made him a thoroughly marked man. In 1965, he was ousted in a blood-spattered military coup sponsored by the CIA and MI6, ushering in 30 years of an iron-fisted military dictatorship led by General Suharto. Over one million people were killed through politically motivated massacres, executions, arbitrary imprisonment, and savage repression. Even the CIA describes his purge of leftists as "one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century."

Widodo is now preparing to leave office, his constitutionally-mandated terms over, and personal approval ratings at all-time highs. His departure creates a clean political slate, which NED is eager to fill. Mercifully, a repeat of the intelligence agency-orchestrated slaughter that brought Suharto to power decades ago appears unlikely. But the leaked documents obtained by MintPress News make clear the U.S. Empire is preparing to pull off another coup in Jakarta under the aegis of "democracy promotion."

This has been NED's raison d'etre since inception, in 1983. The organization was explicitly founded by senior CIA spooks and U.S. foreign policy apparatchiks to serve as a public mechanism for the Agency's traditional clandestine support for opposition groups, activist movements and media outlets overseas, which engage in propaganda and political activism to disrupt, destabilize, and displace 'enemy' regimes.

NED's malign meddling over the years is too lengthy to list here. But recently, this has included sponsoring a failed uprising in Cuba, funneling money to separatist protesters in Hong Kong, and attempting to topple the Belarusian government. Having floundered in these insurrectionary adventures is evidently no deterrent to trying again in Indonesia now.

 

'Personal Branding Development'

The leaked files are weekly briefings dispatched from the Indonesian office of the International Republican Institute (IRI) back to headquarters in Washington during June, July and August 2023. IRI is a core component of NED, which typically works with another, the National Democratic Institute, on regime change operations abroad. The pair are innately linked to their respective namesake political parties at home.

These briefings provide updates on administrative issues, local political developments, staff activities, press clippings, and IRI's progress on fulfilling the objectives of its NED grant in Indonesia "to improve the capacity of emerging political party leaders to assume leadership positions within the parties and act as agents of change in support of increased internal party democracy, transparency, and responsiveness to citizens." The last available Endowment grant records, from 2022, show the Institute was given $700,000 for this.

Every week, IRI reported its "outreach" to "emerging leaders" in the country – graduates of NED training programs, now prominent members of dozens of political parties, and local NGOs and civil society organizations. Many are running as candidates in 2024, having been taught campaigning and voter engagement strategies and to challenge results by the Endowment.

One of IRI's "emerging leaders" was recorded as "carrying out internal party reform in his party" and "always appearing" prominently in its ranks. He was recently trained in launching legal disputes over the forthcoming election's results, which "resulted in his being trusted as a candidate" by the party.

Another boasted to his IRI handlers that he "continues to socialize himself to the public regarding his candidacy either in person or through social media" and had recently appeared on popular radio and T.V. shows. He credited training provided by the NED-funded Association for Election and Democracy (Perludem) for "his personal branding development in politics" and ability to "serve as public speaker and engage with media."

Perludem publishes regular US AID-financed journals, which "provide recommendations and references for improving electoral governance and democratic and political processes in the Asia and Pacific region." It also convenes regular Emerging Leader Academy (ELA) events, where the individuals named in the IRI documents are groomed and learn "message development," among other electioneering skills.

One graduate told IRI she had "started to share and disseminate information regarding her plans to run as a legislative candidate" and was "now increasingly active on social media." With "tools she received from ELA, she hopes to attract more young voters, especially first-time voters." Another was reported to have "again strengthened his role in the party's internal body" and be personally "training prospective witnesses at polling stations" to monitor proceedings on election day.

Right down to the school level, youth political engagement was of evident significance to IRI and its cadre of political operatives. Accordingly, on July 1, Perdulem hosted an event, Make Election Great Again!, where attendees were taught the fine art of "identifying the strategic role of students in the 2024 election."

IRI's vote-meddling capabilities were significantly enhanced on July 12, when its operatives attended an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Google. A panel featured two opposition politicians, journalists, and researchers, who warned "dis/misinformation" could affect the 2024 election and, terrifyingly, result in a similar figure to Widodo becoming President. A local polling expert presented data from a recent survey conducted by his firm on how trust in political parties impacts voter preferences.

 

'Achieved Milestone'

One of the leak's most tantalizing excerpts is in a briefing note from June 28 this year. It records how IRI representatives met with high-ranking members of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, including its Political Officer, Ted Meinhover. He "conveyed U.S. concerns" about the 2024 elections, in particular how Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's "electability" had "increased dramatically," meaning he "stood the highest according to the polls." Meanwhile, former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's ratings were "on the decline."

Meinhover lamented how Indonesian law restricts parties with less than 20% of seats in parliament from fielding Presidential candidates. If that "threshold" were removed, "there will be more candidates in the election, and the U.S. will have more options," he declared. Still, Washington "needs to maintain friendly relations with all parties to safeguard U.S. interests in Indonesia, no matter how the election plays out."

Meinhover added the Embassy had "been active in outreaching" leaders of the local Labor party and Indonesia's Trade Union Confederation "to know about their plans to protest" a law on job creation recently signed by Widodo. Fearing the legislation will "dampen foreign investor enthusiasm" in the country, "the U.S. firmly supports activities opposed to it."

Accordingly, the Embassy secretly suggested to Labor party chiefs they could exploit "the opportunity" of Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17 "to launch protests" against the job creation law and Meinhover's hated "Presidential Threshold." Strikingly, a U.S. diplomatic apparatchik present mentioned Jakarta's State Intelligence Agency (BIN) had "recently warned" the Embassy "not to interfere" in the 2024 elections.

Meinhover said this had motivated the Embassy to "continuously support" IRI's cloak-and-dagger activities to "further implement U.S. policies while avoiding Indonesian regulations." So it was, a July 8 – 14 briefing noted, the Institute contacted Labor party leaders and a welter of Indonesian labor organizations – to which IRI "continuously provide small grants" – and discussed "plans to organize protests" against the job creation and Presidential threshold laws "in late July or early August."

Those protests went ahead on August 9 at Jakarta's Constitutional Court and State Palace. Local media coverage of the events was duly recorded in an IRI briefing, which also noted that the Institute "provided a third grant" of 1,000,000 Rupiah to the Pandeglang Labor party's executive chair for the effort. They reportedly "appreciated IRI's support for their activities." The briefing added, "The protests went well and [were] brought to a successful close."

A week later, Institute staffers again provided "support" to the Labor Party's Pandeglang chapter to "successfully" protest against the two laws. The executive chair received a further personal grant of 5,000,000 Rupiahs "for this achieved milestone." While this amounts to $330, it can hardly be considered an insubstantial sum in local terms, given that 50% of Indonesia's population earns less than $800 monthly.

Other briefings indicate several Indonesian organizations and individuals receive direct payments from IRI for achieving specific "milestones," Perludem among them. In a perverse irony, the February 2021 edition of the organization's journal featured essays on topics including "political financing and its impact on the quality of democracy,"; "the urgency of preventing illicit political party fundraising,"; "a disproportionately unequal playing field: challenges to and prospects for campaign finance law"; and "accountability and transparency of political party financing" across Asia Pacific.

Eighteen months later, Perludem launched an app helping Indonesians "understand how electoral boundaries are drawn" and allowing users to "create their own versions of boundary delimitation or drawing/redrawing of electoral districts as they deem appropriate by universal standards and principles." Who or what funded this seditious venture wasn't stated.

 

'Budgets are Tight'

One can only imagine the righteous furor that would erupt if documents revealing Chinese or Russian government agents, including Embassy staff, were secretly grooming politicians and civil society actors in foreign countries while covertly encouraging and bankrolling the activism of opposition parties and trade unions in conscious, deliberate contravention of national "regulations." However, such activity is par for the course for U.S. diplomatic missions everywhere – and indeed, NED.

It's also worth noting that the Endowment's outlay in Indonesia is relatively modest. One weekly briefing even mentions how budgets "across IRI's three projects" in the country "are tight for the foreseeable future." The Institute's Indonesian party leader training operation aside, the nature of the two other ventures is unclear from the leaked documents. But, according to figures published on NED's website, the organization spends less than $2 million in Jakarta annually.

Usually, the sums involved are vastly higher. For example, over the 12 months leading up to Ukraine's 2014 Maidan Revolution, NED pumped around $20 million into the country. Still, Western journalists, politicians, and pundits aggressively rubbished all suggestions that insurrectionary upheaval was anything other than an expression of popular will, resulting from surging yearning for liberalism and democracy by the overwhelming majority of citizens. They have done so ever since.

This is despite contemporary polls never showing majority Ukrainian support for Maidan, or E.U. and NATO membership; President Viktor Yanukovych remaining the most popular politician in the country until his last day in office; every actor at the forefront of the protests, including the individual who started them, receiving NED or USAID funding; leaders of U.S.-financed organizations in the country openly declaring their desire to overthrow the government in the years prior; the Maidan demonstrations being riddled with hardcore nationalists.

One might still argue many Maidan protesters were animated by legitimate grievances. Yet, the leaked trove raises serious questions about the "agency" of anyone in direct or even indirect receipt of NED funding. The papers amply show individuals and organizations on the ground anywhere can be stirred to activism at the local U.S. Embassy or Endowment chapter's express behest at any time in return for even a small "grant."

It is wholly inconceivable Indonesian labor groups would otherwise have protested Widodo's job creation law or restrictions on how many Presidential candidates can run were it not for the former potentially harming Western investors and financial interests in Jakarta and the latter limiting Washington's choice of puppets in the country. How many other anti-government agitators around the world, be they protesters, trade unionists, journalists, or otherwise, are similarly acting to "achieve milestones" agreed in secret with NED is anyone's guess.

From Washington's perspective, the importance of ensuring a pliant government is installed in Indonesia cannot be understated. With U.S. military chiefs openly discussing war with China in the very near future, the region must be populated with client states that can aid and abet that world-threatening effort. Similar initiatives are undoubtedly underway across the entire Asia Pacific. As such, it has never been more critical that NED's activities everywhere are scrutinized, if not outright banned.

This article was originally published on September 06, 2023.

Feature photo | Illustration by MintPress News

Kit Klarenberg is an investigative journalist and MintPress News contributor exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. His work has previously appeared in The Cradle, Declassified U.K., and Grayzone. Follow him on Twitter @KitKlarenberg.

The post Leaked: CIA Front Preparing Color Revolution in Indonesia appeared first on MintPress News.

9. Private Wars: From Gaza to Venezuela, Erik Prince Plots His Next Move

As U.S. officials continue to reject Venezuela's recent election results, Erik Prince, the founder of the notorious Blackwater mercenary group, has released a video addressing the nation's opposition protesters, sparking fears that his private military forces might become involved.

"Your friends from the north, though we're not with you today, we're coming soon. We support you to the end," Prince declared in a social media video addressing Venezuelan opposition protesters. He added in a caption attached to the video, published on X [formerly Twitter], "To all those in the security forces, choose the side of freedom, not the side of socialist gangsters. We are watching, and justice will be done."

Peace be with you all in Venezuela. To all those in the security forces, choose the side of Freedom. Not the side of socialist gangsters.

We are watching and justice will be done. pic.twitter.com/yaAM8eBqkm

— ErikDPrince (@realErikDPrince) August 17, 2024

Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL turned private security executive, gained infamy through his Blackwater mercenary group, which Human Rights Watch accused of going on a "deadly rampage" in Iraq. The 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad, where 17 Iraqi civilians were killed, stood out as a grim example of Washington's failed regime change war in Iraq, with a U.S. federal jury later finding Blackwater guards guilty of the murders.

Despite Blackwater becoming a significant asset to the Bush Jr. administration, with involvement in a CIA assassination program and the expansion of the group into what was described as the private wing of the U.S. military, all of this came to an end under the Obama administration.

However, Erik Prince began to stage a comeback during Donald Trump's presidency, allegedly growing close to the administration by advocating for the privatization of the decades-long war in Afghanistan. Yet, this resurgence was tainted by a controversial mercenary fiasco in Libya involving warlord Khalifa Haftar.

According to four sources cited by Reuters, in 2019, the Blackwater private security firm founder, Erik Prince, was pressing the Trump administration to deploy a private army into Venezuela to topple the democratically elected socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. Prince reportedly spent months attempting to secure financial backing and political support for the project.

In 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned the Blackwater contractors convicted for the 2007 Baghdad civilian massacre, despite a U.S. government memorandum acknowledging that none "of the victims was an insurgent, or posed any threat to the Raven 23 convoy."

During the Biden administration, Prince has not retreated from the spotlight, sparking fears that he is merely waiting for Donald Trump's potential return to power to pursue further mercenary ventures. He has since launched a podcast, where earlier this year, he openly advocated for the U.S. to colonize Africa and Latin America, stating, "It's time for us to just put the imperial hat back on, to say, we're going to govern those countries." He added that he believed, "You can say that about pretty much all of Africa; they're incapable of governing themselves."

According to a UN Group of Experts monitoring the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s arms embargo, evidence suggests that Erik Prince attempted to broker a deal to deploy a 2,500-strong mercenary force into the war-torn nation's mineral-rich North Kivu region. The Times also reported that Prince had persuaded the Israeli government to purchase sophisticated mining equipment to flood the hundreds of miles of Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza shortly after the eruption of war on October 7.

Commenting on Gaza's tunnel infrastructure, Prince stated, "I provided the Israelis a fully funded, donated ability to flood Gaza with seawater." However, despite Israeli efforts to flood the estimated 300 miles of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip, the project ultimately failed.

Haaretz revealed that Prince had business dealings with Ari Harow, former Bureau Chief for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later pleaded guilty to fraud and breach of trust. The Israeli news outlet also uncovered evidence that Prince has "long-standing ties with Israeli financier Dorian Barak, formerly Harow's business partner."

Reports have also surfaced that a private security firm may take over the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza, relieving the Israeli occupying forces of this responsibility. The Times of Israel noted that "negotiations are ongoing with the unnamed company, which employs former elite U.S. soldiers and specializes in securing strategic sites in Africa and the Middle East. Israel and the U.S. will assist the firm if needed." Al-Mayadeen later cited sources claiming the company to be Erik Prince's Reflex Responses (R2).

Prince's video message published on August 17 suggests his intent to become involved in Venezuela. Given his extensive history of involvement in conflict zones worldwide, the video could indicate more than just a show of solidarity.

Feature photo | Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Alex Brandon | AP

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show 'Palestine Files'. Director of 'Steal of the Century: Trump's Palestine-Israel Catastrophe'. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

The post Private Wars: From Gaza to Venezuela, Erik Prince Plots His Next Move appeared first on MintPress News.

10. From Fight the Power to Work for It: Chuck D, Public Enemy and How the CIA Neutralized Rap

Surprising many, legendary rapper and activist Chuck D appeared at the White House earlier this summer, announcing that he was joining forces with YouTube and Antony Blinken's State Department to become one of Washington's "global music ambassadors" – a role directly modeled on Washington's Cold War-era efforts to use the arts to inspire U.S.-backed regime change in Eastern Europe, and to use musical tours as covers that the CIA could use to assassinate foreign leaders.

Among a crowd of artists that included Herbie Hancock, Armani White, BRELAND, Denyce Graves, Grace Bowers, Jelly Roll, Justin Tranter, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, and Teddy Swims, the Public Enemy frontman was centerstage, standing directly on Blinken's right-hand side, and was the first artist in the room mentioned by the Secretary of State, earning a round of applause from the journalists and dignitaries assembled. "I would like to thank everybody in the U.S. State Department and also YouTube for having me being invited to being a United States global music ambassador," he said.

All this is a far cry from Chuck D.'s beginnings and outward image. The rapper and writer of such songs as "Fight the Power" and "Rebel Without a Cause" used both the aesthetics and message of the Black Panther Party in his performances and was seen as Malcolm X with a microphone. He lists the Panthers and Malcolm X as influences during his formative years.  "I was in the Black Panther lunch program," he told the Historic.ly podcast. Thus, for an artist to go from unapologetically demanding black power to now enthusiastically supporting state power is a bitter pill to swallow for his millions of fans.

 

The Cultural Cold War

Although the State Department was careful to frame its new venture as one designed to support peace, the program's history and the United States' foreign policy moves strongly undermine that claim.

Throughout the press conference announcing the project's inauguration, both Blinken and YouTube's global music head, Lyor Cohen, constantly mentioned the CIA's secret Cold War program to use music and the arts as weapons for regime change. Referencing sending Louis Armstrong to play behind the Iron Curtain, Blinken stated, "America's secret weapon is a blue note and a minor chord. Music is such a powerful diplomatic force because, I think, it taps into something fundamental, universal." "In Berlin, just before the wall came down, Bruce Springsteen played to the adoration of countless fans," he added.

Cohen explained that YouTube was teaming up with the U.S. State Department to help them "leverage global events." "We will utilize major international gatherings to inspire action," he said. What kind of "actions" the State Department is interested in fomenting was not stated but is not difficult to ascertain.

Throughout the Cold War, the United States flooded enemy nations with propaganda. But it often found that a more subtle approach was far more effective. To that end, it spent vast sums sending famous artists such as Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald overseas, to the point where jazz became synonymous with individualism and democracy. U.S. media networks like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty bombarded Eastern Europe with music which Soviet authorities banned. It was thus transformed into a subversive, countercultural weapon. Voice of America – another U.S.-funded network targeted at Communist countries – called its jazz radio show the "Hour of Freedom."

The CIA deliberately chose to front the campaign with black musicians, helping to soften America's image and promote a (false) message of racial harmony to counter well-founded Russian criticism of the United States as a structurally racist society.

In the wake of World War II, the Soviet Union engendered massive worldwide goodwill. Primarily responsible for defeating European fascism, millions around the world saw Communism as the way out of poverty and considered it far more supportive of high culture and the arts than capitalism.

Knowing they had to do something quickly to win the war for the planet's future, the CIA almost immediately established the Congress for Cultural Freedom – a worldwide group of intellectuals and artists dedicated to opposing Communism, some of whom were completely unaware that this was not an organic, grassroots movement.

The goal was clear: destroy Communism and initiate regime change worldwide, installing pro-U.S. puppets wherever possible. "Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses, yes, even among the soldiers —of Stalin'‘s own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time, to come will be internal. I can find the people," anti-communist philosopher Sidney Hook begged the CIA.

Hook got what he wanted, and the CIA became a principal driver of both high and low culture across the globe. Operating through its front organization, the Congress for Cultural Freedom, the CIA funded and promoted artists, writers, musicians and intellectuals who advanced U.S. government interests in dozens of countries worldwide. It received help for these activities from organizations such as the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), whose former executive director, Thomas Braden, was a CIA employee. Institutions like MOMA acted as front groups for CIA schemes, ensuring a veneer of plausibility and respectability to events.

At the height of its influence, the CIA published highly influential magazines, built up a book publishing empire promoting anti-Communist literature, raised money for the production of hit movies, started academic journals, and sponsored conferences the world over.

The CIA promoted the work of George Orwell, pushing his books, and even funded the 1954 film adaptation of "Animal Farm." Thus, the author, who is most closely synonymous with propaganda and government control over society, in an ironic twist, owed his massive popularity in no small part to a giant decades-long CIA propaganda campaign.

Dissident Russian authors like Boris Pasternak also owed their notoriety to the Congress on Cultural Freedom's work. Anti-communist epic book, "Dr. Zhivago" was translated and circulated widely, both inside and outside the Communist bloc, by the CIA front group. Thus, much of what we in the West consider the classic and fundamental tomes of modern society are, in fact, partly a product of CIA activities.

The Congress on Cultural Freedom made pains to appear as if it was actually a leftist organization, preferring not to support overtly conservative or reactionary art or content. It was careful to woo more radical-sounding intellectuals to its cause as long as they were willing to attack the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, or other U.S. foes, thereby helping with American efforts at regime change. This included Hook himself, who was a former Communist. The congress set up a wide range of faux-radical groups, which were designed to defame the worldwide Communist movement, promote the idea that the U.S. and Western Europe tolerated leftist dissent, and tie up and confuse would-be radicals at home into pointless organizations that would do nothing to truly challenge power.

It was not only high culture, however, that the U.S. attempted to hijack. The CIA also published astrology magazines and gossip rags, all with subtle (and often not-so-subtle) anti-Communist undertones to them.

The project continued until the successful overthrow of Communism and Eastern Europe – events in which the U.S. government played a significant role. There have long been extremely strong rumors that the CIA wrote and promoted the Scorpions' hit song "Winds of Change" as regime change propaganda. Meanwhile, David Hasselhoff – the American singer who has long been inexplicably popular in Germany – has strongly insinuated that he worked with the agency to bring down the Berlin Wall. His song, "Looking for Freedom," became the unofficial anthem of the wall's destruction, and he played it to a huge Berlin crowd in 1989.

By his own admission, Chuck D and Public Enemy were also involved in the destruction of the Berlin Wall. The group traveled to the German city and played concerts there. Seeing their counterparts in West Berlin enjoying hip-hop gigs, the rapper explained, contributed to their sense of frustration with the system they lived under. "The Eastern [Berlin] fans can't get there, and the closer they get to the wall, they ain't thinking about hip hop at that wall," he said.

 

Selling a Fantasy

The message of freedom the U.S. projected was a total fabrication. In reality, the black stars it sent around the world to promote the idea that the U.S. was the home of liberty and tolerance were not even allowed to enter many music halls in their home states, let alone play in them. Genuine leftists were being ruthlessly purged from public life in the anti-communist McCarthyist witch hunts.

This included many of America's finest talents. Singer Paul Robeson and actor Charlie Chaplain had their lives destroyed for supporting socialism, the latter spending the last 25 years of his life unable to return to the United States under fear of arrest for his political views. Scientist Albert Einstein was mistrusted by authorities and blocked from influential positions because of his socialist organizing. Playwright Arthur Miller and his actress wife Marilyn Monroe were constantly hounded by their political leanings.

But their treatment was nothing compared to how U.S. authorities attacked black leaders, such as Malcolm X and the Black Panthers – groups that served as inspiration for Chuck D's career. In 1969, police carried out the murder of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Chicago, while in 1985, Philadelphia police carried out an airstrike against black liberation organization MOVE, destroying an entire residential neighborhood block and killing 11 people.

Perhaps even more notable, however, is how the CIA used these "goodwill" tours of black artists as cover to get close to African leaders in order to carry out assassinations. A case in point is Louis Armstrong's 1960 tour of the Congo. The newly independent country had just elected Patrice Lumumba as president. Young and charismatic, Lumumba was a radical who believed that his nation's immense resources should be used to build a democratic, egalitarian society. This, for CIA director Allen Dulles, who described him as an "African [Fidel] Castro," signed his death warrant.

The CIA attached itself to the jazz legend's tour, accompanying him around the country and gathering crucial information on Lumumba's whereabouts and security to carry out an assassination. Lumumba was killed a few months later. The killer's identity remains debated, but what is clear is that, after his death, Congo went into a 60-year tailspin of dictatorships and civil war, from which it has not recovered. Throughout the violence, Western corporations continue to control the nation's vast mineral resources.

In 1962, the CIA passed information to the apartheid government in South Africa that led to the arrest and imprisonment of Nelson Mandela for 27 years, while an investigation by Seymour Hersh for the New York Times found that the agency was involved in the overthrow of Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah, widely considered one of the finest leaders the continent has ever produced.

 

Nonsensical Responses

Chuck D is aware of the history of the CIA using this program to overthrow countries and assassinate foreign leaders, referencing it in his interview with Historic.ly. Nevertheless, he insisted that, "I ain't got nothing to do with fucking government. Their language is blood, bombs and bullets."

He offered a unique justification for working with the power he claimed to be fighting, arguing that the modern world has transcended governments to the point where the nation-state is no longer relevant. Hence, it was acceptable to work with any and all governments to push agendas. As he said:

I was accused of being with the State Department of the United States, I am basically telling people: get them symbols and them titles out your fucking head. That shit is no longer applicable. There are really no such thing as fucking countries and nations. It is technology that has become that. My only thing, and my only ulterior motive is hip hop music, rap, art culture, that's it! That's my fucking religion and fucking nation at this point. I trust no governments. They are all the same."

When asked whether it hurt his credibility to be associated with a regime change operation, he insisted that times have changed. "It was 75 years ago! The jazz ambassadorships, when they talk about Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, that's 1952 in the Cold War. What the fuck has that got to do with 2025?!" he retorted. He also noted that he is not receiving any financial compensation for the partnership.

 

The Tall Israeli Running Rap

Standing next to Chuck D at the White House was Lyor Cohen, a man he has long described as his "mentor." Cohen has long been one of the most powerful men in the rap business, but with his 2016 appointment as global head of music at YouTube, he became arguably the most important person in the music industry.

Cohen was born in New York City to Israeli parents with deep ties to the Zionist paramilitary group, the Haganah. His father, Elisha, was a member of the infamous Harel Brigade during the 1948 Nakba. The Harel Brigade played a pivotal role in the killings of thousands of Palestinians and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands more. This included carrying out biological warfare against the indigenous population. After the 1948 war, he became an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Lyor's formative years included living in Kfar Haim in Israel, at a settlement named after Haim Arlosoroff, a Zionist negotiator who worked with Nazi Germany in the 1930s, transferring German Jews and their assets to historic Palestine.

He got his start in hip hop in the 1980s at Russell Simmons' Rush Management, working with the likes of Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys before becoming president of Def Jam Records, an iconic label associated with many of the industry's biggest names.

He began working with Public Enemy in the 1980s and immediately began attempting to clean up its image. Cohen successfully lobbied Chuck D to fire Professor Griff from Public Enemy after the latter made anti-Semitic comments. While at Warner Music, he reportedly obstructed the promotion and release of an album by Lupe Fiasco, an artist known for his radical politics and committed support for Palestinian liberation. More recently, in November of last year, at the height of interest in Israel's attack on Gaza, some have connected him with YouTube's decision to remove the song "Terrorist" by MintPress' Lowkey from the platform, after almost 14 years and 5.5 million views.

While Cohen's power is legendary, he prefers to stay out of the limelight. "The Rape Over," a song by Yasinn Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) about how corporate forces have taken over hip hop, described Cohen as the "tall Israeli [who] is running this rap shit." The song, and more specifically, this particular lyric, was condemned as anti-Semitic and was removed from the rapper's back catalog, the track having been essentially banned.

The incident is a microcosm of how a once politically conscious, revolutionary, and entirely non-politically correct art form has been defanged and reshaped by corporate forces to make it more palatable to those at the top of society. Chuck D is far from the first old rap legend accused of selling out. Ice-T found fame by releasing tracks like "Cop Killer" to eventually playing one on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Ice Cube, meanwhile, went from "Fuck the Police" and "Arrest the President" to allying himself with Donald Trump.

 

(Counter)Revolutionary Rhythm

Despite the official end of the Cold War, the United States has never stopped using music and musicians to foment unrest and spark regime change. In 2021, it sponsored, promoted and attempted a counter-revolution in Cuba, led by hip-hop artists that it had been funding and promoting for years.

Chief amongst those artists is Yotuel, whose song "Patria y Vida" became the anthem of the failed movement. The song was publicly promoted by all manner of U.S. officials, up to and including President Biden himself. The song and the anti-government hip-hop movement were given glowing write-ups in establishment media such as NPR and The New York Times.

But what all failed to inform the public was that Cuban rappers like Yotuel were recruited and nurtured by the U.S. government to sow discontent and spark regime change on the island.

The 2021 grants publication database of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)—an organization established by the Reagan administration as a front group for the CIA—lists several such projects.

For instance, one project, entitled "Empowering Cuban Hip-Hop Artists as Leaders in Society," states that its goal is to "promote citizen participation and social change" and to "raise awareness about the role hip-hop artists have in strengthening democracy in the region." Another, called "Promoting Freedom of Expression in Cuba through the Arts," claims it is helping local artists on projects related to "democracy, human rights, and historical memory" and to help "increase awareness about the Cuban reality.

Meanwhile, during the Cuban protests, the NED's sister organization, USAID, offered $2 million worth of funding to groups that use culture to bring about social change in Cuba. The announcement itself references Yotuel's song, suggesting to applicants that they want more content in this vein. "Artists and musicians have taken to the streets to protest government repression, producing anthems such as 'Patria y Vida,' which has not only brought greater global awareness to the plight of the Cuban people but also served as a rallying cry for change on the island," it notes.

In Venezuela, the NED funded and supported rock bands producing music aimed at destabilizing and overthrowing the socialist government. In 2011, for example, it was involved in approximately two dozen agreements for funding the performance and distribution of such music. It helped fund a national music contest, with the winners playing in Caracas. The documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, note that the project aimed to "promote greater reflection among Venezuelan youth about freedom of expression, their connection with democracy, and the state of democracy in the country."

Such is the reactionary nature of the anti-government opposition in Venezuela, however, that the contest's local organizers chose the song "Primates" as the national winner – a track that compared the (primarily black and mixed race) government and its supporters as subhuman monkeys and gorillas – perhaps a little too on-the-nose for the likes of Antony Blinken and the State Department to support as it did with "Patria y Vida."

Blinken himself has personally used music to advance a political agenda. In May of this year, he played a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" in front of a host of TV cameras in a Kyiv bar. The message he was trying to project was that America stands with Ukraine and for freedom against the authoritarian dictatorship in the Kremlin. What Blinken either forgot or did not care about, however, is that "Rockin' in the Free World" is a satirical protest song, mocking how politicians sing odes to "freedom" in the U.S. while its people go hungry and sleep on the streets.

 

Big Tech and Big Brother

The partnership between YouTube and the State Department will see the platform push pro-U.S. music and messaging across the world, supposedly to promote "peace." However, the United States has been at war for 229 of its 248-year history. Its military spending rivals that of all other countries combined, and it operates a network of around 1,000 military bases around the globe, including nearly 400 encircling China. It has, by its own estimation, launched 251 foreign military interventions between 1991 and 2022 alone and is currently supporting a genocide in Gaza. Thus, the idea that it will use this new initiative to push peace is at least as dubious as its previous claims of sponsoring "freedom" during the Cold War.

However, this is far from YouTube's only connection to the U.S. national security state. Its parent company, Google, is essentially a creation of the CIA. Both the CIA and the NSA bankrolled the Ph.D. research of Google founder Sergey Brin, and senior CIA officials oversaw the evolution of Google during its pre-launch phase. As late as 2005, the CIA was still a major shareholder in Google. These shares resulted from Google's acquisition of Keyhole, Inc., a CIA-backed surveillance firm whose software eventually became Google Earth – the civilian offshoot of a spying software the U.S. government uses to surveil and target its friends and enemies. Since then, Google has become a major CIA contractor, securing a cloud services contract worth tens of billions of dollars.

Perhaps most alarmingly, a MintPress News investigation found a network of dozens of former CIA agents and officials now working in senior positions at Google and YouTube. Among them include Jacqueline Lopour, Google's senior intelligence collection and trust and safety manager, who spent more than ten years as a CIA analyst; Ryan Fugit, who left the CIA in 2019 to become a senior global trust and safety manager for Google; and Bryan Weisbard, a former CIA intelligence officer and State Department official, who, in 2021, became director of YouTube Trust and Safety.

Other MintPress News investigations have found similar networks of ex-CIA agents working in top jobs at Facebook, TikTok and other platforms.

These individuals were not being appointed to politically neutral areas, such as sales or customer service, but were instead parachuted into positions where they affected what billions of people see, read and hear every day in their newsfeeds, usually with little to no relevant expertise in that field except their longtime careers as spies and spooks.

That individuals like this are in charge of defining real from fake news is deeply problematic, given the CIA's long history of being the source of false information. John Stockwell, former head of a CIA task force, explained on camera how his organization infiltrated media departments the world over, created fake newspapers and news agencies, and planted false news about Washington's enemies. "I had propagandists all over the world," he said, adding,

We pumped dozens of stories about Cuban atrocities, Cuban rapists [to the media]… We ran [faked] photographs that made almost every newspaper in the country… We didn't know of one single atrocity committed by the Cubans. It was pure, raw, false propaganda to create an illusion of communists eating babies for breakfast."

The U.S. national security state is also intimately involved in producing pop culture. The military has produced or co-produced thousands of TV shows and Hollywood movies, including many of the biggest blockbuster franchises, such as Iron Man, The Avengers, Jurassic Park, and Top Gun.

The CIA, meanwhile, was deeply involved in the production of films as diverse as Mission: Impossible, Borat, and Salt. And video game mega-franchises like Call of Duty are produced by ex-CIA chiefs. Brian Bulatao, the chief administration officer for Call of Duty producer Activision Blizzard, was formerly chief operating officer for the CIA, placing him third in command of the agency.

A MintPress investigation into the connections between Call of Duty and the national security state found that Air Force leaders were also deeply involved in game production, flying Activision Blizzard staff out to military bases to "showcase" their hardware to them and to make the industry more "credible advocates" for the U.S. war machine.

 

Cold War 2.0

It is little secret that the United States is embarking on a new Cold War against both Russia and China. China's economic rise poses a threat to American dominance of the globe. In addition to the hundreds of military bases encircling the two nations, this new war is being fought economically, digitally and culturally. War planners are already describing how the United States is trying to "kick China under the table," such as commissioning "Taiwanese Tom Clancy" novels intended to demonize China and demoralize its citizens. Chinese-linked apps such as TikTok are under threat of possible deletion. YouTube stars collaborate with the military to promote the military-industrial complex to their tens of millions of impressionable, young fans. And President Biden briefs influencers on how best to explain the Ukraine War to their followers.

It is in this vein that we should see the State Department's recent announcement to partner with musicians to push pro-U.S. propaganda throughout the world. That they are doing this should be no surprise. What is remarkable, however, is how a musician with such widespread respect as a radical, anti-establishment figure would decide to join forces with the very institution he has railed against for decades.

At the White House press conference, Blinken unironically celebrated Chuck D, introducing him as "a legendary rapper from Flushing, Queens, who inspired us to fight the power." Does Blinken not realize that he is the very power Public Enemy was rapping about? By choosing to team up with Blinken and join a project openly being pitched as a psychological operation aimed at regime change, Chuck D has, lamentably, gone from fighting the power to working for the power.

Feature photo | Illustration by MintPress News

Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams.

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