CounterCurrents: Punishing The Messenger: Israel’s War On NGOs Takes A Worrying Turn, Biden Meets With Erdogan, Backs Turkish Invasion Of Syria

Dear Friend,

We've been following the Syrian imbroglio closely and the situation remains fluid. The Turkish army launched  a cross-border operation codenamed operation Euphrates Shield against American supported Kurdish militia and ISIS. US Vice President Joe Biden who arrived in Ankara has extended support to the Turkish operation.  The Kurdish militias have  been double-crossed by their US backers. It seems the Turkish aim is two fold 1) two prevent a Kurdish stronghold taking shape inside Syria. (Turkey is already fighting Kurds inside Turkey itself as well as in Iraq border) 2) to create a buffer zone inside Syria which is also a dream US imperialist agenda. 

The Korean peninsula is on the boil. 1) North Korea launched a    submarine missile which breached Japan’s air defense zone. 2) US and South Korea have been involved in the joint annual drill which has irked North Korea. North Korean belligerance has made even its traditional backers, the Chinese, nervous. China, Japan and South Korea met for a trilateral meet and discussed North Korea. Remember, North Korea has as many as 21 nuclear bombs, enough to make us all nervous. 

Today is the 8th anniversary of Kandhamal pogrom, one of the worst violence against Christians in modern India. Yours truly has written an article, "Lessons From Kandhamal." There is  also an interview with renowned film maker K.P Sasi who has completed a documentary on the pogrom “Voices from the Ruins: Kandhamal in Search of Justice”.

Day 48 in Kashmir. Curfew and shut down continues in the valley. Yesterday, one youth was killed in Pulwama. Death toll is 68 now. South Kashmir remains tense. 

And many more stories from around the world. 

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Biden Meets With Erdogan, Backs Turkish Invasion Of Syria
by Halil Celik 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/biden-meets-with-erdogan-backs-turkish-invasion-of-syria/

Under the pretext of “strengthening Turkey’s security by clearing terrorist groups from the border and maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity,” the Turkish army launched a major escalation of the war in Syria on Wednesday with a cross-border operation codenamed Euphrates Shield.



Tokyo Trilateral Meet Shows China Is Troubled Of North Korean Adventurism
by Dr Vivek Kumar Srivastava 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/tokyo-trilateral-meet-shows-china-is-troubled-of-north-korean-adventurism/

The developments in Far East since few days are quite complex. Three major developments have taken place. First US and South Korea have been involved in the joint annual drill which North Korea has criticized saying that it is in fact an invasion drill with a clear aim to destroy the country. Second development is launch of the submarine missile by North Korea which breached Japan’s air defense identification zone; alarming the region that North Korea is not ready to stop its misadventures



Lessons From Kandhamal
by Binu Mathew 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/lessons-from-kandhamal/

Today is the 8th anniversary of Kandhamal pogrom. When we look back on one of the worst communal violence against Christian communities in the history of modern India, what lessons can be learnt?




Scorched Visions Of Kandhamal
by P M Jayan 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/scorched-visions-of-kandhamal/

An interview with renowned film maker K.P Sasi who has completed a documentary on the pogrom “Voices from the Ruins: Kandhamal in Search of Justice”




Sajjad Lone And “Chewable” Nationhood!
by Mohammad Ashraf

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/sajjad-lone-and-chewable-nationhood/

The author of the ‘vision document’, “Achievable Nationhood” has modified it to become the “Chewable Nationhood”!




The Kashmir Stalemate: Time To End The Conundrum
by Umar Farooq Veeri  

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/the-kashmir-stalemate-time-to-end-the-conundrum/

The governments have spent tens of billions of rupees on feeding and fighting the conflict rather than on alleviating poverty and improving literacy and health programs for the staggering number of poor in all of India and Pakistan. It was basically &  ultimately the exhumed external forces and greedy mindframe of these two extremely located countries and in part the spread of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Kashmir Valley that were instrumental in bringing about the insurgency of the late 1980s. Since that time, Kashmir has become overrun by these forces, and yet again the voice of Kashmir has become muffled under a global Islamic agenda



Dam Building: Who’s “Backward”- Subsistence Cultures Or Modern “Development”?
by Vinod Raina 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/dam-building-whos-backward-subsistence-cultures-or-modern-development/

Dam proponents see their scientism as self-evidently superior to traditional cultures: Should the adivasis live as they have for centuries, as museum pieces, with their cultures and beliefs intact? they ask. Do they not have a right to progress?




Unwanted Images: The Nauru Incident Reports
by Dr Binoy Kampmark 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/unwanted-images-the-nauru-incident-reports/

Tactics to undermine, discredit and sanitise the hideousness of the camp system are also used with propagandistic dedication.  In the wake of the release of the “Nauru Files” by The Guardian, documenting the assortment of abuses taking place on the island, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection was immediately at hand with desensitising advice.



Punishing The Messenger: Israel’s War On NGOs Takes A Worrying Turn
by Dr Ramzy Baroud 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/punishing-the-messenger-israels-war-on-ngos-takes-a-worrying-turn/

The ‘NGO Law’ is now in effect. It forces NGOs to declare their sources of funding and punishes those who refrain from doing so. It also levies heavy taxes on such funds, even when declared. The European Union, along with the United States Government warned Israel against such laws, but to no avail. The bill is written in too broad a terminology, thus making it possible for the government to target such organizations without appearing vindictive or politically-motivated.




Leftists For Trump
by Thomas C Mountain 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/leftists-for-trump/

I am a leftist for Trump. As an alumni of “Leftists for Bush” and living these past 10 years in the Horn of Africa, I cant help myself. I am irresistibly drawn to “Leftists for Trump”. Of course if I was living in the good old U-S-of A I would be in the streets demonstrating against The Trumpster. But then I would be in the streets marching against Lady Hillary as well.



Dalit Uprising And After: Why Hindutva Would Not Be The Same Again
by Subhash Gatade 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/dalit-uprising-and-after-why-hindutva-would-not-be-the-same-again/

Well known Gujarati poet SahilParmar’s poem ‘When I Was Born’ perhaps reverberates these days in Gujarat when we are witnessing a Dalit Upsurge- a first of its kind at least in that regions history. It will be a talk of folklore for times to come how flogging of dalits in a village in Saurashtra by Hindutva fanatics suddenly erupted into a mass movement of dalits which could catch imagination of the people cutting across different sections of society. An attempt is being made here to understand the dynamics of the movement and its likely impact on the future trajectory of Hindutva.




Racial Profiling Of African Americans In US And Caste Discrimination In India
by Dr Subramani Mani 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/racial-profiling-of-african-americans-in-us-and-caste-discrimination-in-india/

Two of the world’s greatest democracies seem to be in a race for the top spot in the art, science and sport of discrimination and segregation of their own peoples in the 21st century.




VP Singh – The Crusader Of OBCs
by Tata Sivaih 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/vp-singh-the-crusader-of-obcs/

Amongst Greats like Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule, BabaSaheb Ambedakar , Periyar , OBCs should not forget the contribution of another Crusader of Backward classes V.P Singh who gave reservations to Backward classes by implementing the Mandal commission report. 




Remembering B.P Mandal & V.P Singh
by Dr Aurobindo Ghose 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/remembering-b-p-mandal-v-p-singh/

Remembering and celebrating the historical role of Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal, will be incomplete without remembering on this occasion the very Architect of implementation of the Mandal Commission Report almost a decade later in 1989. Vishwanath Pratap Singh,gentleman politician and Prime Minister, who stood his ground for the oppressed and literally sacrificed his Chair !




Self-Sustainability Of Community Radio: Stories From India
by Ashish Singh 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/25/self-sustainability-of-community-radio-stories-from-india/

The legalization of setting up a Community Radio Station came after a long and voiced revolution from various grass-root organizations, individuals and communities. Community Radio is not just something which is feeding the people’s mind with few people’s choices, interests and beliefs, its inception goes back to the logic of providing Voice to the Voiceless,