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Focus: Raqqa – July 25, 2017

SDF And Syrian military make secret deal, divide spheres of influence in Deir Ezzor, Raqqah provinces: Media – southfront.org

Kurds ‘collaborating’ with Russia and Syrian regime over Raqqa, SDF reportedly ceded towns in northern Syria to regime forces as part of a Russian-brokered deal – alaraby.co.uk

More details: Raqqa July 20 SDF & SAA & tribal forces signed agreement to hand over some SDF areas to SAA within 3 days – Ivan Sidorenko on Twitter

Secret Russian-Kurdish-Syrian military cooperation is happening in Syria’s eastern desert – The Independent

Continued fighting in areas in the western part of Al-Raqqah city and ISIS continues its counter attacks – SOHR

Kurdish-led forces fling back huge ISIS counterattack in Raqqa – almasdarnews.com

In pictures: ISIS uses hordes of suicide bombers against Kurdish forces in Raqqa city (PHOTOS) – almasdarnews.com

SDF says 45% of Raqqa city liberated, operations ongoing – ARA News

Syrian Democratic Forces deny pause in anti-ISIS operations in Raqqa – ARA News

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Tomgram: William Hartung, The Trillion-Dollar National Security Budget

This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

In May 2012, TomDispatch featured a piece by Chris Hellman and Mattea Kramer, both then analysts at the National Priorities Project, headlined “War Pay: The Nearly $1 Trillion National Security Budget.” The two of them ran through the figures for the cumulative annual budget for what we still mysteriously read more

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Yet Another #People’sPlatform Has Usual Anti-People Problem

Donald Trump uses backdrops formed by crowds of boy scouts or soldiers. Progressive Democrats use documents called #People’sPlatform endorsed by numerous quasi-grassroots organizations.

Neither remotely approaches the far more desirable governance that one would get using direct democracy, governance by opinion poll. The reason for the pretense of populism is clear: people are wiser, even laboring under today’s relentless sewer of propaganda, than any contingent in either mega-party. There read more

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Speaking Truth to Empire

On “Speaking Truth to Empire,” on KFCF 88.1 FM Free Speech Radio for Central California, Dan Yaseen interviews Steve Lendman, an author, a progressive blogger and an internet radio host. He writes on vital international and national topics, including war and peace, American imperialism, corporate dominance, political persecutions, and a range of other social, economic and political issues. His website is: www.stephenlendman.org

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Is “Good German” status quo the order of our day? #Aegis9

 
Jason Rawn leading a Maine Peace Walk in 2014

Today’s guest post by civil disobedient Jason Rawn was rejected by the Times Record. A daily paper local to General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works plant, the Times Record customarily publishes a monthly opinion column written by various Peaceworks members. In July the editor refused the submitted piece saying that drawing connections between the present day and the Holocaust is “a bit much.” But is it? You be the judge.

Are We The “Good Germans” Now?

by Jason Rawn

I’m read more

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Focus: Raqqa – July 21, 2017

US official: IS putting up stiff resistance in Syria’s Raqqa, advances have slowed down – Fox News

Raqqa: IS militants burst from tunnels, hit weak points in a bloody battle of attrition from street to street – ABC News

ISIS using motion detector IEDs in battle for Raqqa – DoD Buzz

In pictures: ISIS fires rockets on pinpoint Kurdish targets in Raqqa city – almasdarnews.com

At least 15 Kurdish YPG fighters killed by ISIS fire in Raqqa: official – ARA News

US sends in mine-proof trucks for battle in Raqqa – theaustralian.com

Armored US combat vehicles have been spotted pouring into Syria (PHOTOS, VIDEO) – taskandpurpose.com

US special operators are moving closer to the fighting in Raqqa – The Drive

VIDEO: US Marine Corps artillery destroys ISIS tunnel entrance in support of SDF in Raqqa on June 19 with little to no collateral damage – Mutlu Civiroglu on Twitter

VIDEO: read more

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At Every Door

At Every Door
by Kathy Kelly

July 21, 2017

“I come and stand at every door
But none shall hear my silent tread
I knock and yet remain unseen”
                            -Nazim Hikmet
On July 18, 2017, at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing focused on “The Four Famines: Root Causes and a Multilateral Action Plan,” Republican Senator Todd Young, a former Marine, asked read more

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Tomgram: Engelhardt, Bombing the Rubble

This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

Empire of Destruction 
Precision Warfare? Don’t Make Me Laugh 
By Tom Engelhardt

You remember. It was supposed to be twenty-first-century war, American-style: precise beyond imagining; smart bombs; drones capable of taking out a carefully identified and tracked human being just about anywhere on Earth; special operations raids so pinpoint-accurate that they would represent read more

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Focus: Turkey and Syria – July 19, 2017

Turkey leaks secret locations of U.S. troops in Syria – thedailybeast.com

US increases number of military posts in PKK/PYD-held territories in Syria to ten – anadoluagency.com

MAP: Turkish wire Anadolu published this map showing US bases in Syria. The US-led coalition in response slammed the story as irresponsible – Ragıp Soylu on Twitter

Turkey set to launch military operation against Kurds in northern Syria, says weapons given to the YPG “by various allied countries” have wound up in the hands of the PKK – Xinhua

Arab-Kurdish feud deepens as fears mount over battle for Raqqa, This week Turkish-backed Arab militias clashed with SDF units north of Aleppo – VOA

Turkish-backed rebels fail to capture northern Aleppo town – almasdarnews.com

Turkish Army suffers heavy casualties in latest attack on Kurdish-held northern Aleppo – almasdarnews.com

Turkish forces shell villages in Afrin and northern of Aleppo after the death, injury and capture of a large number of members of both parties in the first round of clashes – SOHR

After Russian mediation by a Turkish request… read more