MintPress News Desk

U.S.-Backed Rebels Enter Raqqa, Division Of Syria To Be Pushed After Victory

As U.S.-backed forces enter the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, a plan to divide Syria along sectarian lines is coming to fruition. The plan is not unlike those previously used by the U.S. to divide and conquer other countries in order to exploit their natural resources and strategic value.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
The loosely-knit coalition of Syrian rebel groups known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), are armed, trained and backed by the U.S. The group is currently engaged in the early stages of battle in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, Syria.

MINNEAPOLIS-- In what some speculate may be the beginning of the end for Daesh (ISIS), the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) entered Raqqa – Daesh’s Syrian stronghold – for the first time on Tuesday. SDF commander Rojda Felat told the AFP news agency that the group is “fighting street battles inside Raqqa now, and we have experience in

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Amnesty International Urges UK To Ban Imports From Israeli Settlements

Amnesty International has called on the UK to ban all imports of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements to help end multimillion-pound profits which have fuelled mass human rights violations.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
The Har Homa neighborhood, an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied east Jerusalem. (AP/Dan Balilty)

Human rights group Amnesty International has called on the UK to ban all imports of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements to help end multimillion-pound profits which have fuelled mass human rights violations. To mark the 50th year of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, the group is launching a new campaign calling on all

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Pentagon Requests $1.8 Training Program To Combat Sectarianism It Fomented

The CIA has a known history of hiring torture experts to train extremists and paramilitary forces to do its dirty work. Next year, it plans to pay for training for Iraqi security forces who have a similar history of human rights violations, hoping to use these forces to further destabilize Syria.

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By MintPress News Desk
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces wear fake beards after playing the part of ISIS militants during a training exercise in Baghdad, Iraq.(AP/Maya Alleruzzo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The release of the Pentagon’s 2018 budget request late last month foreshadows a sordid future for both Iraq and Syria, even after Daesh (ISIS) is eliminated as a threat. Warning of “instability” in post-Daesh Iraq and Syria, the request warns that the risk of creating an environment that “exacerbates sectarian divisions,

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New Bill Would Reduce Police Accountability, Erode State Independence

A bill that would create mandatory minimum sentences for people who assault police officers, as well as prevent police brutality victims from receiving compensation, is being considered by Congress. Critics say the bill will undermine officers’ credibility and do little to protect them.

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By MintPress News Desk
A member of the St. Louis County Police Department points his weapon in the direction of a group of protesters in Ferguson, Mo. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014.

MINNEAPOLIS-- With police brutality becoming a major issue in domestic politics, the debate between those critical of the police and those committed to supporting law enforcement officers has raged on, moving to the forefront of the nation’s attention every time an unarmed civilian loses their life to an officer. However, a recent bill

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Philippine President Duterte Fears CIA Assassination, Blames U.S. for ISIS Presence

In the wake of a recent Daesh (ISIS) attack that claimed one of his country’s cities, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed concern that the U.S. may be seeking to destabilize the country, even suggesting that the U.S. could attempt to assassinate him. This comes ahead of the Philippines attempting to stray away from US influence.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk

  MANILA-- The Philippines has become the first nation in Asia to have one of its cities fall to the international terror group Daesh (ISIS). Clashes between militants and Filipino security forces began Monday night in the southern city of Marawi, as the government raided a home where the leader of the local branch of Daesh, Isnilon Hapilon, was

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Will Venezuela Be The Battleground In The Next U.S.-Russia Proxy War?

Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, there is new potential for the country’s massive reserves of oil to end up in Chinese and Russian hands. It is unlikely that the U.S. will allow this to occur, even if it means getting into yet another proxy conflict with those countries.

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By MintPress News Desk
Russian President Vladimir Putin, front, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro enter the hall during their meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Jan. 15, 2015. (AP/Pavel Golovkin)

CHILE -- There’s no denying that Venezuela is deeply embroiled in a significant crisis. While most are aware of the country’s recent string of violent protests, food shortages and government crackdowns on opposition protesters, few are aware of the opposition’s use of underhanded and downright illegal tactics, as well as the United States’ role in

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Trump-Russia Scandal Distracts From Latest Syria Bombing, Troop Surge In Afghanistan

With mainstream media still focused squarely on Trump’s alleged connections with Russia, a recent U.S. military strike in Syria and a plan to over 50,000 ground troops to Afghanistan have gone nearly unnoticed.

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By MintPress News Desk
An Army carry team places the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., who was killed during a raid on an alleged ISIS compound in eastern Afghanistan. (AP/Cliff Owen)

MINNEAPOLIS-- U.S. media has been abuzz with the latest controversy to strike the Trump administration, centering around accusations that the president attempted to impede the disgraced former Director of the FBI James Comey from fully investigating the administration’s alleged ties to the Russian government. The media-driven anti-Russia mania,

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